Hirshhorn Plaza

Friday, September 6, 2002

Internationally known curator, writer and critic Francesco Bonami (b. 1955) will discuss his role as the Director of Visual Arts for the upcoming 50th Venice Biennale (2003) in a slide-illustrated talk titled “Dreams and Conflicts” at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at noon in the Ring Auditorium. The museum is on Independence Avenue at Seventh Street S.W.

A key participant in cutting edge culture, Bonami is currently the Manilow Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and a member of the Advisory Board of the next Carnegie International survey exhibition of current art, scheduled for 2004. His timely appearance at the Hirshhorn precedes by one week the opening of “Zero to Infinity: Arte Povera 1962-1972,” the internationally touring exhibition of avant-garde Italian art for which he served as a curatorial consultant and catalog essayist.

Born in Florence, Bonami—who gained prominence as the American Editor of the magazine “Flash Art International” from 1990-1997—brings a wealth of experience to organizing the show of international contemporary work at the Venice Biennale, one of the most distinguished art showcases in the world. His curatorial credits include: the second Site Sante Fe Biennial, which brought together 27 artists from 20 countries (1997); “Unfinished History” at the Walker Art Center (1998); and Manifesta 3 in Ljubljana, Slovenia (2000). Among Bonami’s recent publications are a monograph on the provocative Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan (2000) and a project for the 48th Venice Biennale (1999) that chronicled the dreams of some 100 artists.

This free talk is sponsored by a friend of Hirshhorn Education. No reservations are required and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Hirshhorn is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (Closed Dec. 25.) The nearest Metrorail stop is L’Enfant Plaza, Maryland Avenue exit. Admission to the museum is free.

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