High Waters: An Oral History of the Venice Biennale

“Perhaps the most charming and dynamic character in the upper altitudes of international curatorial pursuits, Massimiliano Gioni, Artistic Director of the New Museum (who himself curated the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013) interviews dozens of curators about mounting the Venice Biennale. “The most visible manifestations of this strange organism are the artists and the artworks, which inspire, transform, and expand the narrative frameworks conceived by the curators. Then comes a horde of other figures: designers, architects, lighting experts, manual workers, painters, and transporters … the Biennale staff, who arrange the shipment of masterpieces from the four corners of the globe, renovate buildings, produce performances, oversee maintenance for the Giardini, and the president, who chooses and appoints the curators, and there is the general director, the directors of each sector, and so on. The Biennale is made by everyone and belongs to everyone, not just the curators.””