Partnership with Florence Biennale

The XII Florence Biennale will take place from 18 to 27 October 2019 at Fortezza da Basso in Firenze (Florence), Italy. Themed “Ars et Ingenium – Toward Leonardo da Vinci’s Legacy of Similitude and Invention”, the XIIth Florence Biennale is part of the 2019 programme of initiatives aimed at celebrating the genius and art of Leonardo da Vinci.

The International Biennial of Contemporary Art in Florence works for the promotion and valorization of the artists offering the opportunity to engage with art and culture at an international level.

The Florence Biennale is the major contemporary art exhibition in Florence (Italy), where it is regarded as an outstanding showcase of the international contemporary art production. Every two years the Florence Biennale enlivens the Medicean city with a programme of collateral events such as conferences, displays, performances, workshops and lectures. All this with a view to offer artists and their audience the opportunity to engage with art and culture, and know more about the theme of each edition of the biennial.

Since it was founded the Florence Biennale has been a free, independent, and innovative ‘platform’ for contemporary art. Over the years thousands of artists from over a hundred countries have exhibited their works at the Florence Biennale, which brings in the main art forms and disciplines.

During each edition of the Florence Biennale an International jury composed of distinguished scholars, art historians and critics from different countries confer the ‘Lorenzo il Magnifico’ Award to the best exhibiting artists, or winners to be chosen amongst the finalists for their works on display, respectively.

The exhibiting artists compete in a range of art categories, which, in the XIIth edition of the Florence Biennale, includes Drawing & Calligraphy, Painting, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Ceramic Art, Textile & Fiber Art, Jewellery Art, Photography, Digital Art, Video Art, Installation Art, and Performance Art.

Furthermore, the ‘Lorenzo il Magnifico’ Lifetime Achievement Awards are conferred to individuals and institutions who have reached pinnacles of artistic achievement or stood out for their contribution to culture.

FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI, Florence-born director, set and costume designer, and producer acclaimed worldwide, has been bestowed the Lorenzo il Magnifico Lifetime Achievement Award for Visual and Performing Arts. The Award for Sculpture goes to Mexican sculptor GUSTAVO ACEVES, whilst Turkish-born young artist REFIK ANADOL receives the Award for New Media Art. American artist ANTHONY HOWE, famous for his kinetic wind-driven sculptures, and MICE JANKULOVSKI, painter and cultural actor from Macedonia, also enjoy recognition for their outstanding artistic achievements over a lifetime as they will be conferred the Special Award from the President of the Florence Biennale.

Over the past editions of the Florence Biennale, the Lorenzo il Magnifico Lifetime Achievement Award has been bestowed to distinguished artists such as Marina Abramović, David Hockney, Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Gilbert & George, Marta Minujín, Anish Kapoor, and other.

The cross-cultural dialogue through art is one of the main principles that have inspired the Florence Biennale since its foundation. The artists participating to the Florence Biennale virtually become ambassadors of tolerance and peace as they share these values, as well as respect for diversity, without which such a cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary event would not be possible. The Florence Biennale is committed to fostering awareness of the importance of art and the role of artists in societies by reviving history while looking at the present for a sustainable future of creativity.

www.florencebiennale.org