1997 - FLORENCE BIENNALE FOUNDATION
1997 - I FLORENCE BIENNALE
Pasquale and Piero Celona found the Florence Biennale. Artists from around the world come to Florence and give breath of life to a multicultural event.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Carla Fracci – Etoile at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Dolorès Puthod – Painter, set designer a the Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Ferruccio Soleri – Actor. For years he played as Harlequin at the Piccolo Teatro, Milan
1999 - II FLORENCE BIENNALE
Marta Marzotto is the host of the opening ceremony.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Mario Luzi – Italian poet and writer
2001 - III FLORENCE BIENNALE
Jacopo Celona joins the organization.
The Florence Biennale is the first exhibition in wich artists from different countries express their thoughts and feelings about the tragic events of 11 September 2001.
The Florence Biennale joins the “United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilization” programme.
Collateral events:
– “The Coat of Arms of the Popes for the Jubilee”, an exhibition of 29 artworks by Renata Minuto to celebrate the Jubilee.
– exhibition of twelve artworks by HRH Prince Charles of Wales.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Chen Cheng-Hsiung – Chen is a pioneer of abstract painting. He has devoted over 60 years to the creation of modern painting and related theory
2003 - IV FLORENCE BIENNALE
Collateral events:
– display of the cast of Michelangelo’s Pietà set up by the Restoration Laboratory of the Vatican Museum.
– exhibition of drawings by Pininfarina, and vintage automobiles set up by Ferrari S.p.a.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
David Hockney – Foremost British artist and exponent of the Pop Art.
Restoration Laboratories of the Vatican Museums – An excellence in the conservation of cultural heritage.
Ferrari – An excellence in the worlds of motor and design.
2005 - V FLORENCE BIENNALE
Close collaboration with the India Triennale, New Dehli.
Close collaboration with the Turku Biennial, Finland.
Collateral events:
– preview of the Olympic Torch designed by Pininfarina for the Winter Olympics to be held in Turin in 2006.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Christo and Jeanne-Claude – Foremost exponent of the Land Art
TOROC – Organizer of the Winter Olympic in Turin, 2006
Harley-Davidson – for their engineering and creativity in the motorcycle world
2007 - VI FLORENCE BIENNALE
The Florence Biennale receives from the actress Anne Archer the “Artists for Human Rights” Award for the commitment to crosscultural dialogue.
Collateral events:
– exhibition of interactive videos and digital installations set up by the Ars Electronica Center, Linz.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Gilbert & George – artistic sodalice who conied the motto “Art for All”.
2009 - VII FLORENCE BIENNALE
Marina Abramović reads out for the first time her Manifesto.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Marina Abramović – A “pioneer” of Performance Art
Shu Yong – Multimedia Chinese artist who explores the cultural distance between the Eastern and Western worlds
2011 - VIII FLORENCE BIENNALE
Maggio Danza stages Selon Desir by Andonis Foniadakis, with a solo piece by the prima ballerina Sabrina Vitangeli. She wears a couture gown that has been designed for her by Agatha Ruiz de La Prada. Choreography by Francesco Ventriglia.
Collateral Events:
– SIT-in Florence: students from the city’s schools reinterpreted, in a creative way, 500 chairs donated by IKEA
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
José Luis Cuevas – Mexican multimedia artist, writer and activist. He is an exponent of the Generación de la Ruptura and “Neo-figurativismo” movement
Agatha Ruiz de La Prada – Spanish artist and fashion designer
2013 - IX FLORENCE BIENNALE - ETICA: DNA DELL'ARTE
The Florence Biennale introduces the Charter of the Artist of the New Millenium presented during the XXXIII World Congress of UNESCO Centers held at Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence
Collateral events:
– International conference: “Neo-Humanism: Art, Ethics and Aesthetics at the Dawn of the New Millenium”, Florence, Palazzo Vecchio, Salone dei 500
– more than ten exhibitions in public spaces, with the Patronage of the Municipality of Florence
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Sir Anish Kapoor – Artist who explores new frontiers in sculpture
Franco Mussica – Musician, composer and artist
Henryk Jurkowski – Theatre historian and puppet theatre specialist
2015 - X FLORENCE BIENNALE - ARTE & POLIS
The “new-entries” categories: ceramic art, jewellery art, textile and fiber art.
Collateral events:
– International conference: “Renascent Creativity”, in collaboration with ELIA – European League of Institutes of the Arts.
– Conference: “The Archivio Luciano Caruso”, Florence.
– Franca Pisani’s solo exhibition to awaken conscience about gender-based violence, Court of Justice, Florence.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Marta Minujín – Visual and performing artist from Argentina
Mario Carbone – Italian photographer and documentarist
Giampaolo Talani – Italian painter and sculptor
Special Award: Morehshin Allahyari – Iranian born multimedia artist
2017 - eARTh - Creativity and Sustainability
The XIth Florence Biennale aims at contributing to envision a future in which creativity and sustainability are inspiring principles of an artistic and cultural ‘ecosystem’ within a world that is respectful of nature and life forms on Earth.
Collateral events:
– Assembly of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), Teatro Lorenese.
– Lorenzo il Magnifico Lifetime Achievement Award to Sauro Cavallini, in memoriam.
– Performance by Tim Bengel, guest artist. Ceremony: Special Award from the President of the Florence Biennale to Tim Bengel.
“LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO” LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
El Anatsui – Artist who works with materials from discarded objects such as metals and wood
Arata Isozaki – Architect who designs architectural complexes that bring in the heritage from Eastern and Western cultures