Cecilia Alemani

Cecilia Alemani
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Curator

Cecilia Alemani (born 1977) is an Italian curator based in New York City. She is the Donald R. Mullen Jr. Director & Chief Curator of High Line Art and the artistic director of the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022. ^{[1] [2]} She previously curated the 2017 Biennale's Italian pavilion ^[3] and served as artistic director of the inaugural edition of the 2018 Art Basel Cities in Buenos Aires, held in 2018. ^[4]

Early life and education

Born in Italy, Alemani received her BA in philosophy from the University of Milan and her MA in Curatorial Studies from Bard College. ^[5]

Career

From 2012 to 2017, Alemani curated Frieze Projects, the nonprofit platform of the Frieze Art Fair, which has presented new productions by emerging artists and reconstructions of historical exhibitions. From 2009 to 2010, she was Curatorial Director of the year-long X Initiative, New York, an experimental nonprofit for which she oversaw numerous exhibitions and events. ^[6] Alemani is a co-founder of No Soul For Sale, a festival of independent spaces, nonprofit organizations, and artists’ collectives. ^[7] As an independent curator, she organized many exhibitions in museums, nonprofit spaces, and galleries, including Gió Marconi Gallery, Milan; ^{[8] [9]} Blum & Poe, Los Angeles; ^[10] MoMA PS1, New York; ^[11] and the Whitney Museum, New York. ^[12]

In 2017, Alemani curated the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, 57th International Art Exhibition. ^[13] Titled Il Mondo Magico (The Magical World), the exhibition featured new large-scale, site-specific commissions by Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Roberto Cuoghi, and Adelita Husni-Bey. ^[14]

In 2018, Alemani was artistic director of the first edition of Art Basel Cities, a new initiative in partnership with Buenos Aires to celebrate the city's thriving cultural ecosystem. ^[15] Alemani curated a city-wide exhibition titled Hopscotch (Rayuela) that featured 18 works in close dialogue with their venues, shaping a multilayered experience that connected visual art, urban spaces, and the city's histories in unexpected ways. ^[16] Among the participating artists were Eduardo Basualdo, Pia Camil, Maurizio Cattelan, Gabriel Chaile, and Luciana Lamothe. ^[17]

For Art Basel 2019, Alemani commissioned Alexandra Pirici to stage a new iteration of Aggregate for the city's Messeplatz. ^[18] The immersive work is a performative environment featuring more than 60 performers who move around the visitors, enacting gestures and sounds that reference disparate forms of cultural heritage, creating something like a time capsule.

In 2023, Alemani was part of the jury that awarded the 2024 Preis der Nationalgalerie to Pan Daijing, Daniel Lie, Hanne Lippard and James Richards. ^[19]

High Line, 2011–present

Since 2011, Alemani has overseen the High Line Art Program, developing an expertise in commissioning and producing ambitious artworks for public and unusual spaces. During her tenure at the High Line, she has commissioned major projects by El Anatsui, ^[20] Carol Bove, ^[21] Rashid Johnson, ^[22] Barbara Kruger, ^[23] Faith Ringgold, ^[24] Ed Ruscha, ^[25] and Adrián Villar Rojas, ^[26] among other artists. ^[27] She has also organized group exhibitions featuring works by young and emerging artists, including Firelei Báez, ^[28] Jon Rafman, ^[29] Max Hooper Schneider, ^[30] and Andra Ursuta. ^[31] Recently, Alemani spearheaded the High Line Plinth, a new program featuring monumental artworks that commenced in June 2019 with Brick House, a sculpture by artist Simone Leigh. ^{[32] [33]} Through these public initiatives, Alemani has sought meaningful civic engagement by galvanizing dialogue, awareness, and a sense of possibility.

Venice Biennale, 2022

In response to her appointment as the Curator and artistic director of the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, Alemani commented that “as the first Italian woman to hold this position, I understand and appreciate the responsibility and also the opportunity offered to me,” adding, “I intend to give voice to artists to create unique projects that reflect their visions and our society." ^[34]

Personal life

Alemani is married Massimiliano Gioni, an Italian curator and contemporary art critic. The couple has one son together and reside in the East Village, Manhattan in New York City. ^{[35] [36]}

Writing

Alemani has written extensively for various publications, including Artforum.com ^[37] and Mousse Magazine, ^{[38] [39] [40]} and has a weekly column in D, Repubblica as of October 2019. ^[41] She has authored, co-authored, edited or contributed entries to a number of books.

Selected Books and Contributions

• Alemani, Cecilia, ed. Il mondo magico: Padiglione Italia, Biennale Arte 2017. Venice: Marsilio, 2017. ISBN   9788831727204
• Alemani, Cecilia, ed. High Art: Public Art on the High Line. New York: NY, Skira Rizzoli, 2015. ISBN   0847845192
• Alemani, Cecilia. “The Solar Anus.” In Jakub Ziółkowski: 2000 words. Athens, DESTE Foundation, 2014. ISBN   6185039052
• Alemani, Cecilia, ed. The X Initiative Yearbook. Milan: Mousse Publishing, 2010. ISBN   9788896501290
• Alemani, Cecilia, Maurizio Cattelan, and Massimiliano Gioni. Charley Independents. Athens: Deste Foundation, 2010. ISBN   9781935202318
• Alemani, Cecilia and Massimiliano Gioni, ed. I’m Not There. Gwangju: Gwangju Biennale Foundation, 2010. ISBN   9788987719115
• Alemani, Cecilia, Andrea Bellini, and Lillian Davies, ed. Collecting Contemporary Art. Zürich: JRP Ringier, 2008. ISBN   3037640154
• Alemani, Cecilia. Arte Contemporanea7: Ambiente. Milan: Mondadori Electa, 2008.
• Alemani, Cecilia. William Kentridge. Milan: Mondadori Electa, 2006. ISBN   8837043635

References

1. "Leadership". The High Line. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
2. Cascone, Sarah (January 10, 2020). "The Venice Biennale Has Appointed Cecilia Alemani, the Artistic Force Behind New York's High Line, as the Curator of Its 2021 Edition". Artnet News . Retrieved January 12, 2020.
3. "Cecilia Alemani to Curate Italian Pavilion at 2017 Venice Biennale". Artforum . April 25, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
4. Muñoz-Alonso, Lorena (September 13, 2017). "Cecilia Alemani Named Artistic Director of Art Basel Cities Buenos Aires". Artnet News . Retrieved January 12, 2020.
5. "Cecilia Alemani". GEI. November 1, 2017. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
6. "Cecilia Alemani Appointed Artistic Director of Fifty-Ninth Venice Biennale". www.artforum.com. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
7. "No Soul For Sale: A Festival of Independents". www.nosoulforsale.com. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
8. Gió Marconi Gallery. "I campi magnetici". Gió Marconi Gallery. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
9. Gió Marconi Gallery. "Solaris". Gió Marconi Gallery. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
10. "Glee « Exhibitions « Blum & Poe". www.blumandpoe.com. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
11. "GNY: Rotating Gallery 3 | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
12. "Down by Law". Desde Foundation for Contemporary Art. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
13. "Cecilia Alemani to Curate Italian Pavilion at 2017 Venice Biennale". www.artforum.com. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
14. "Biennale Arte 2017 | Italian Pavilion". La Biennale di Venezia. May 26, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
15. "Cecilia Alemani Named Artistic Director of Art Basel Cities Buenos Aires". artnet News. September 13, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
16. "For seven days, see Buenos Aires through the eyes of 18 artists". Art Basel. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
17. "For seven days, see Buenos Aires through the eyes of 18 artists". Art Basel. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
18. "A guide to Alexandra Pirici's Aggregate - Art Basel's public art project". Art Basel. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
19. Maximilíano Durón (28 April 2023), Artist Award Roundup: Preis der Nationalgalerie Goes to Four Artists, Sobey Art Award Reveals Long List, and More ARTnews .
20. "The First Five Years of High Line Art". The High Line. June 14, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
21. Rosenberg, Karen (July 25, 2013). "At Home in Two Places". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 13, 2020.
22. "Blocks". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
23. "Untitled (Blind Idealism Is...)". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
24. "Groovin High". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
25. "Cecilia Alemani on Ed Ruscha's High Line Commission". The High Line. May 23, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
26. "The Evolution of God". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
27. "The First Five Years of High Line Art". The High Line. June 14, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
28. "En Plein Air". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
29. "Mutations". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
30. "Mutations". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
31. "Busted". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
32. "Plinth". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
33. "Brick House". The High Line. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
34. Farago, Jason (January 10, 2020). "Cecilia Alemani Named Curator of Next Venice Biennale". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 13, 2020.
35. "Massimiliano Gioni: The Crown Prince of the Art World | Pearson College UWC" . Retrieved September 6, 2021.
36. "The Art World Works From Home: Venice Biennale Curator Cecilia Alemani Spends Her Days Cramming in Skype Studio Visits". Artnet News. April 10, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
37. "Artforum.com". www.artforum.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
38. "Living Symbols of New Epochs: Lorraine O'Grady •". Mousse Magazine (in Italian). June 1, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
39. "Permanent Judd: Donald Judd •". Mousse Magazine (in Italian). April 1, 2007. Archived from the original on September 17, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
40. "Relations de Traduction: Camille Henrot •". Mousse Magazine (in Italian). October 1, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
41. "Konstnärsnämnden - Cecilia Alemani". www.konstnarsnamnden.se. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved April 23, 2020.

Further reading

• Cash, Stephanie (October 19, 2011). "Cecilia Alemani Appointed Director of High Line Programs". ARTnews.com . Retrieved January 12, 2020.
• "Cecilia Alemani". ARTnews.com . September 9, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
• "Cecilia Alemani / power 100". ArtReview. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
• Duray, Dan (July 27, 2016). "A walking tour of New York's High Line with Cecilia Alemani". The Art Newspaper . Retrieved January 12, 2020.
• Farago, Jason (January 10, 2020). "Cecilia Alemani Named Curator of Next Venice Biennale". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331.
• Harris, Gareth (August 22, 2018). "Artists and projects announced for first Art Basel Cities Week in Buenos Aires". The Art Newspaper . Retrieved January 12, 2020.
• Piepenbring, Dan (March 11, 2016). "Beautiful Mayhem". Frieze . Retrieved January 12, 2020.
• Shea, Christopher D. (November 15, 2016). "New York Curator Names Artists for Italian Pavilion at Venice Biennale". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331.
• Stapley-Brown, Victoria (March 21, 2017). "'It's magic': curator Cecilia Alemani offers a glimpse into the Italian Pavilion at this year's Venice Biennale". The Art Newspaper . Retrieved January 12, 2020.
• Weist, Nicholas (February 13, 2012). "Cecilia Alemani Is the Eye Over the High Line". ARTnews.com . Retrieved January 12, 2020.