Francesco Bonami Tells Aspiring Curators to Skip School

Francesco Bonami, former artistic director of the Venice Biennale (2003) and current curator at Gagosian New York and director of the By Art Matters Museum in Hangzhou, China, has sparked controversy with a provocative Instagram post. In it, he advises young people against pursuing curatorial studies, stating, "Do not go to any curatorial studies college. For the simple reason that being a curator is not a job. It's like going to school to learn how to climb stairs. Save your money. Stay home and develop the muscle – the brain muscle – to climb the stairs of curatorial practice." His remarks, reported by Artnet, have drawn criticism from educational institutions such as the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College and the Whitney Independent Study Program, which he specifically mentioned. Bonami, who began his career as a painter before becoming a curator, also recently shared an anecdote about trying to convince a visitor at the Museum of Modern Art in New York that Van Gogh's "Starry Night" was actually by Cézanne, a claim that ended badly. This is not his first provocative statement; he previously suggested artists in creative crisis mix "cheap cognac, tequila, salt, and their own urine" for inspiration.