Carolee Schneemann Wins Golden Lion at Venice Biennale

The 2017 Venice Biennale awarded its Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to Carolee Schneemann, a 78-year-old American artist known for performance and video art. The prize will be presented on Saturday, May 13, at Ca' Giustinian, the Biennale's headquarters, during the opening ceremony. Curator Christine Macel proposed Schneemann, and the Biennale board chaired by Paolo Baratta ratified the decision. Macel praised Schneemann as a pioneer of feminist performance art since the early 1960s, who used her own body as the primary material, challenging traditional representations of women as nude objects. Schneemann's work spans painting, film, video, and performance, redefining art history from a female perspective. The award continues a trend of honoring women: in 2013, Marisa Merz and Maria Lassnig received Golden Lions; in 2015, Susanne Ghez received a special Golden Lion.