biennials

Participation in the Venice Biennale represents one of the most significant milestones in an artist's career within the art system, offering unparalleled international visibility, as evidenced by its media coverage (see the section on media visibility for reference). Founded in 1895, the Biennale was established precisely to showcase Italian creativity alongside other national expressions. Even after more than a century, despite occasionally being perceived as anachronistic in a globalized world—with its national pavilions and emphasis on nationality—the event retains its prestige and power to consecrate established artists or launch emerging careers through its awards and invitations. Moreover, it encourages the host country to foster collaboration among institutions, curators, gallerists, and collectors to best present its national art.

From its inception, the Biennale has pursued an international mission. For decades, foreign artists accounted for around 60% of participants, rising to 80% in 1980 and reaching 90% in the final two decades of the 20th century. A pivotal shift occurred in 1999 under Harald Szeemann’s exhibition "dAPERTutto", which championed open participation—without age, geographic, or stylistic restrictions—solidifying the Biennale as a platform for global art. That year, Italian representation grew to 13 out of 100 artists (13%), up from 9% in 1997 (19 out of 216). However, percentages dipped again in the early 2000s: 15 out of 300 (5%) in 2001 and 23 out of 284 (8%) in 2003.

Concurrently, the number of foreign national pavilions expanded dramatically, peaking at 89 in 2019 (compared to ~30 permanent pavilions in the Giardini, with others hosted at the Arsenale). Globalization thus translated into broader participation, with 93 countries in 2019, 80 in the post-pandemic 2022 edition, and 88 in 2024. This reflects a widening geography of artistic production and support, with more voices demanding recognition.

Within this framework, the Italian Pavilion operates not as a privileged host (akin to World Expos) but as an equal among peers. Its curator is appointed by Italy’s Ministry of Culture through an invited competition, while the Commissioner role falls to the Director-General of Contemporary Creativity. In contrast, the International Exhibition’s curator is selected by the Biennale’s board under the president’s guidance. This structure underscores Italy’s dual role: as a participant in the global dialogue and as a custodian of its own artistic legacy.

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The Italian Pavilion

The Italian Pavilion as we know it today was first established in 2007, curated by Ida Gianelli, featuring Giuseppe Penone and Francesco Vezzoli. From 2009 to 2015, subsequent curators opted for a collective vision of Italian art, each edition exploring a different theme:

2009: Luca Beatrice and Beatrice Buscaroli highlighted Futurism’s influence on 20 contemporary artists.

2011: Vittorio Sgarbi’s experimental group show with 200 artists.

2013: Bartolomeo Pietromarchi focused on the fragmented nature of Italian artistic production.

2015: Vincenzo Trione’s Codice Italia with 16 artists.

These group exhibitions aimed to broadly represent Italy’s art scene, but they ultimately weakened individual artists' visibility among international professionals and visitors. The thematic approach also made it harder to compete for the Golden Lion for Best National Pavilion, which in recent years has favored solo projects.

A turning point came in 2017 with Cecilia Alemani (who featured Giorgio Andreotta Calò, Roberto Cuoghi, and Adelita Husni-Bey) and 2019 with Milovan Farronato (showcasing Enrico David, Chiara Fumai, and Liliana Moro), both opting for fewer, more focused selections.

By 2022, the Italian Pavilion finally embraced a full solo project with Gian Maria Tosatti (b. 1980, based in Naples and New York), curated by Eugenio Viola and supported by Lia Rumma Gallery. This trend continued in 2024 with Massimo Bartolini (b. 1962, based in Cecina, Tuscany), curated by Luca Cerizza and backed by Magazzino, Massimo De Carlo, and Frith Street Gallery.

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The International Exhibition

While the Italian Pavilion aims to promote Italy’s creativity on the global stage, the International Exhibition aspires to unite global artistic expression—both historical and contemporary—around a central theme. Being included in this show carries exceptional significance. But how often have Italian artists contributed to this narrative in recent years?

The numbers reveal a limited Italian presence:

2007 (Robert Storr): 6 Italians out of 100 artists (6%)

2009 (Daniel Birnbaum): 10 out of 87 (11.5%)

2011 (Bice Curiger): 10 out of 84 (11.9%)

2013 (Massimiliano Gioni): 14 out of 164 (8.5%)

2015 (Okwui Enwezor): 4 out of 139 (2.9%)

2017 (Christine Macel): 5 out of 193 (2.6%)

2019 (Ralph Rugoff): 2 out of 84 (2.4%)

This suggests that Italy’s representation hinges on foreign curators’ familiarity with its historical and contemporary art scene, as well as its visibility abroad. Analysis shows that featured Italian artists typically either operate internationally or are historicized figures (yet often overlooked beyond Italy). Meanwhile, mid-career artists and new discoveries receive scant support.

For context:

Italian Pavilion (2007–2024): Of 56 artists, 19 (over a third) worked/live abroad, and 30+ (more than half) were represented by foreign or Italy-based galleries with international reach.

International Exhibition (2007–2024): Of 47 artists, 19 were based abroad, and 33 had international gallery representation.

Cecilia Alemani’s 2022 Biennale, "The Milk of Dreams", proved that Italian participation surges when leadership understands the country’s art history and emerging talent. Based in New York, Alemani selected 26 Italians (12.2%) out of 213 artists—25 women and only one man (Diego Marcon). Her curation resurrected overlooked pioneers, particularly women from avant-garde movements excluded from mainstream art narratives. Only five were emerging artists.

Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa drew his title from a work by Claire Fontaine (the Italo-British collective), spotlighting migration as a unifying theme. The show included: Claire Fontaine’s iconic piece; 6 post-1960 artists (all with migrant backgrounds); 43 early/mid-20th-century artists (mostly Italian emigrants to South America)

Contemporary Italian Artists Featured (Post-1960):

Giulia Andreani (b. 1985, based in Paris)

Claire Fontaine (founded 2004, Palermo-based duo: Fulvia Carnevale/James Thornhill)

Alessandra Ferrini (b. 1984, London-based)

Victor Fotso Nyie (b. 1990, based in Faenza)

Fred Kuwornu (b. 1971, New York-based)

Agnes Questionmark (b. 1995, Rome/New York)

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Among the most important recurring events in the art world is documenta, founded in Kassel in 1955 on the initiative of Arnold Bode and established as a quinquennial exhibition starting from its fifth edition (documenta 5, 1972). While early editions featured predominantly European participants, from documenta 9 (1992) onward, the exhibition took on an extra-European dimension, involving artists from 37 countries.

According to the study "L’arte contemporanea italiana nel mondo" (Skira, 2005) by Sacco, Santagata, and Trimarchi, German artists featured at documenta between 1992 and 2002 accounted for 10% to 20% of participants—twice the percentage of Italian artists invited to the Venice Biennale during the same period. The average Italian presence in Kassel across the 1992, 1997, and 2002 editions was around 4%, with a declining trend. Specifically, Italian participation dropped from 13 artists in 1992 (7%) to 4 in 1997 (3%), and just two in 2002 (Gabellone and Boeri, 2%). These artists were already well-known in international museum circuits or belonged to established movements such as Arte Povera.

For this analysis, we examined the last eight editions of documenta in Kassel (1987–2022) and found that Italian artists have had a fluctuating presence in this major international exhibition. The editions with the strongest Italian representation were: documenta 8 (1987), directed by Manfred Schneckenburger, whose team included Italian curator Vittorio Fagone; documenta 9 (1992), co-curated by Jan Hoet and Italian critic Pier Luigi Tazzi; dOCUMENTA (13) (2012), directed by Italo-American curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, then-director of the Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art.

Conversely, Italian participation was notably sparse in documenta X (1997) (Catherine David), documenta 11 (2002) (Okwui Enwezor), and documenta 14 (2017) (Adam Szymczyk), with only four, two, and three Italian artists, respectively. Italian art was entirely absent from documenta 12 (2007), curated by Roger M. Buergel and Ruth Noack, which featured 119 artists. The most recent edition, documenta 15 (2022), also lacked Italian representation, except for Sergio Racanati (born 1982 in Bisceglie), who presented his film "Wok/Wajan" in the public program.

Overall, out of 1,297 artists across the eight editions examined, only 51 were Italian (4% on average), peaking at 7% in documenta 9 (1992). Among the most frequently invited Italian artists were: Giulio Paolini (1972, 1977, 1982, 1992); Giuseppe Penone (1972, 1982, 1987, 2012); Michelangelo Pistoletto (1968, 1982, 1992, 1997); Ettore Spalletti (1982, 1992).

This pattern shows that documenta repeatedly invited Italian artists already recognized by the international art system. Our study also reveals that the deeper the curators' engagement with Italian art—through ties to museums, institutions, and galleries—the greater the presence of Italian artists. A prime example is documenta 13 (2012), where Christov-Bakargiev showcased Italian artists across generations, from Giorgio Morandi (placed in the exhibition’s "Brain" section at the Fridericianum) to Arte Povera figures like Boetti, Balestrini, Mauri, Baruchello, and Penone, as well as younger artists such as Rossella Biscotti (1978) and Chiara Fumai (later featured in the 2013 Venice Biennale and 2019 Italian Pavilion).

In documenta 14 (2017), which controversially expanded to Athens, Sardinian artist Maria Lai (who passed away in 2013) was given significant space after Szymczyk discovered her work during a 2014 trip to Sardinia. About a dozen of her pieces were displayed across both venues. The same year, Lai was also included in Christine Macel’s 57th Venice Biennale. Other Italian presences in documenta 14 included the duo Marie Cool & Fabio Balducci and filmmakers Yervant Gianikian & Angela Ricci Lucchi (Golden Lion winners at the 2015 Venice Biennale).

The latest edition, documenta 15 (2022), curated by the Indonesian collective ruangrupa, adopted a globally decentralized perspective, focusing on emerging regions—a framework that excluded Italian artists, despite their strong presence in Cecilia Alemani’s concurrent Venice Biennale.

Looking ahead, documenta 16 (2027) will be curated by Naomi Beckwith, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Guggenheim New York, suggesting a continued shift toward diverse, non-Western narratives. Nevertheless, the dialogue between documenta and the Venice Biennale remains vital, with many artists transitioning between the two. For now, Italian representation in Kassel remains sporadic, dependent on curatorial vision and institutional connections.

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From the 1990s onward, numerous recurring art events have emerged worldwide—biennials, triennials, festivals—establishing themselves as prestigious exhibitions, often shaped by influential curators appointed as artistic directors. Our analysis of recent editions of 20 international biennials reveals that Italian representation is closely tied to the curator's familiarity with Italy's art scene or, in some cases, to their own Italian nationality.

Another key finding is that featured Italian artists are predominantly those already established globally or who have long been based abroad. In certain regions, particularly the East (Sharjah, Gwangju, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney), biennials have rarely included Italian artists in recent years. The same applies to discovery-focused exhibitions like the Berlin Biennale and the New Museum Triennial in New York, which prioritize urgent themes and emerging regions.

Across the 80 surveyed editions, there were 94 Italian participations, with 79 artists born after 1960. The exhibitions with the highest Italian presence included:

Manifesta 12 (Palermo, 2018), curated by an international team, featuring 10 artists such as Marinella Senatore, Yuri Ancarani, and Renato Leotta;

14th Istanbul Biennial (2015), directed by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, with 6 artists (Giovanni Anselmo, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Fabio Mauri, Elena Mazzi);

Lyon Biennale (2017), curated by Thierry Raspail and Emma Lavigne, showcasing 4 artists (Burri, Dadamaino, Scheggi);

Manifesta 11 (Zurich, 2016), including Maurizio Cattelan.

Cattelan ranks among the most frequently featured artists in the surveyed biennials (beyond Zurich 2016, also Skulptur Projekte Münster in 1997 and 2007). Other recurrent names:

Marinella Senatore (Lyon 2015, Manifesta 2018, São Paulo 2021);

Tatiana Trouvé (Lyon 2015, Istanbul 2017, Yokohama 2017);

Rosa Barba (São Paulo 2016, RIBOCA 2018, Yokohama 2020)—all of whom have (or had for years) international bases.

Nico Vascellari appeared in two biennials (Belgrade October Salon 2018, Lyon 2019), while Lara Favaretto exhibited in Münster (2007) and Liverpool (2016).

Compared to the 2022 report "How Recognized Is Italian Contemporary Art Abroad?", the 2023 Liverpool Biennial included two Italians: Binta Diaw and Francis Offman, but the 2025 edition has none. Similarly, the 2024 Lyon Biennale omitted Italian artists.

Better representation in Korea: the 2023 Gwangju Biennale had no Italians in its main exhibition but featured four in its first-ever Italian Pavilion (Camilla Alberti, Yuval Avital, Marco Barotti, Agnes Questionmark, Fabio Roncato). The following year (despite its biennial format, it ran consecutively), Binta Diaw returned in the main show, alongside Rebecca Moccia in the second Italian Pavilion.

No Italians at the 2024 Sydney Biennale, while Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale (2024) included Armin Linke and Rossella Biscotti. A milestone was reached at the 2025 Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, with Arcangelo Sassolino as the first Italian participant. Manifesta Barcelona (2024) showcased five Italians: again Binta Diaw, alongside Bea Bonafini, Claire Fontaine, Chiara Camoni, and Masbedo.

The Riga Biennial, postponed from 2022 to 2023 before being canceled entirely, would have featured Rosa Barba. For the 2025 São Paulo Biennial, three Italians were selected—but only one born post-1960 (Marinella Senatore), alongside historic figures Giorgio Morandi and Giorgio Griffa. Another established name, Maria Lai, appeared in the 2023–24 Shanghai Biennale.

The Belgrade October Salon included three Italians: Aldo Giannotti, Alessandra Saviotti, and Francesco Fonassi—notably, with Lorenzo Balbi among the curators. Rossella Biscotti reappeared at the 2025 Sharjah Biennial with Adelita Husni-Bey, while Giulia Piscitelli joined the 2024 Lagos Biennale. Raffaella Crispino was featured in the 2024 Yokohama Triennale.

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