Daniel Birnbaum's 'Making Worlds' Biennale Rejects Moralizing Art

The 53rd Venice Biennale, titled 'Making Worlds' and curated by Daniel Birnbaum, ran from June 4 to November 2009 at the Arsenal and the Pavillon des Expositions. Birnbaum's concept focused on artists who 'make worlds' rather than 'remake the world,' a stance against the recent trend of moralizing and cliché-ridden art. The French pavilion, curated by Christian Bernard, featured Claude Lévêque and controversially cited Florence Rey as a 'fascinating icon of nihilistic violence,' for which Bernard was criticized for trivializing real violence. The exhibition was reviewed by Catherine Millet in art press n°359 (September 2009).