Biennale di Venezia as a Catalyst for Italian Art: A Critical Analysis

Ludovico Pratesi argues that the Venice Biennale should be leveraged to revive Italian contemporary art. He traces the decline of the Italian Pavilion since its 1999 cancellation by Harald Szeemann, replaced a decade later by a space in the Arsenale managed by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, leading to politically appointed curators and collective shows that exclude Italy from competition. Pratesi notes that Italian artists are increasingly underrepresented in the International Exhibition: from 9 out of 89 in 2009 to just 2 out of 79 in 2019. He proposes three measures for the 2021 Biennale: a single-artist Italian Pavilion curated by a qualified professional; a series of studio visits for curators, starting with Cecilia Alemani for the 59th edition; and public financial support (30% of production costs) for Italian artists invited to the International Exhibition, via the Italian Council or a new instrument. Pratesi references his book 'Perché l’Italia non ama più l’arte contemporanea' (Castelvecchi, 2018) and praises Minister Franceschini's Italian Council initiative. He also mentions that the last Italian artists to win the tricolor prize were Monica Bonvicini, Grazia Toderi, Bruna Esposito, Paola Pivi, and Luisa Lambri over twenty years ago.