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The Florence Biennale has once again shown a deep and concrete rootedness in international culture and in relations with artists, who also in this edition have had the opportunity to bring their works to Florence, meet and dialogue with each other and with the large audience in a large-scale exhibition.

Taking on the role of the "forum" of dialogue between peoples, the event was reconfirmed as an important meeting place in the name of Art and of individual and collective cultural heritage.

During the 7th Florence Biennale, the participation of Marina Abramović, one of the world’s most important performers, generated great attention. During this edition of the show the artist was presented with the “Lorenzo il Mangifico” Lifetime Achievement Award.

The artist, of Yugoslav origin, is active since the 70s of the twentieth century with a series of memorable performances, in which the body of the artist is the subject of the work and is a central element of his research on the limits of human physicality. In her exploration of the physical and mental limits of her being, she has withstood pain, exhaustion, and danger in the quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. She has created works that ritualize simple actions of everyday life such as lying, sitting, dreaming and thinking. She organized an exhibit of her videos and performances and, for the first time, her Artist’s Manifesto, which was greeted enthusiastically by the audience and received widespread coverage by national and international news agencies, including CNN, which ran a piece on the Biennale.

The “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Lifetime Achievement Award was also given to the internationally renowned Chinese artist Shu Yong, who exhibited paintings from the series Chinese Myths and screened a warmly received video featuring thrilling images and marked by a provocative charge.

The edition’s schedule was full of events such as conferences, discussions with guests of honour, and a festival of Japanese Cinema. Among the events there was also an exhibition at Florence’s St. James Church, featuring the works of Paul Lorenz, Barbro Eriksson, and Danielle Lindsay, and an award ceremony for Leo Rango, one of 12 young artists selected by the Italian Accademie di Belle Arti, through a competition, to participate in the Biennale.

The 'Lorenzo Il Magnifico' Lifetime Achievement Award was also conferred to Shu Yong, a world-renowned Chinese artist who has often appeared in the media as a controversial artist questioning the foundations of Chinese society. On the occasion of the 2009 edition of the Florence Biennale, he presented some paintings from his Chinese Myths series and a video that captivated the audience with emotional images and a strong provocative charge.

A rich calendar of events also included conferences, meetings with special guests and a review dedicated to Japanese cinema. Other initiatives included a collateral exhibition at the St. James Church in Florence with works by Paul Lorenz, Barbro Eriksson and Danielle Lindsay, and the award ceremony for Leo Ragno, chosen from among 12 young artists selected by the Fine Arts Academies of our country through a competition that ensured them a space within the Florence Biennale.

Artistic Director: Stefano Francolini

Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities
Region of Tuscany
Province of Florence
City of Florence
La Nazione

Elza Ajzenberg – Director of the Contemporary Art Museum of São Paulo (BRAZIL)
Dominique Edouard Baechler – Professor of Art Critic and Art History (SWITZERLAND)
Pang Bang Ben – Member of the Chinese Artists Association and art consultant (CHINA)
R.B. Bhaskaran - Artist (INDIA)
Francesco Buranelli – Former Director of the Vatican Museums (ITALY)
Gregorio Luke – Art Critic, Curator and Latin American Art expert (USA)
Bianca Laura Petretto – Journalist, Contemporary Art Curator and Modern and Oriental Art expert (ITALY)
Matty Roca – Art Critic (MEXICO)
Gerfried Stocker – Artist and musician (AUSTRIA)
Rosa Tejada – (USA)