The 2016 Biennale of Sydney has an artistic director! The woman taking up the job is Stephanie Rosenthal, the chief curator of London’s Hayward Gallery, the biennale announced today.
“It is a true pleasure and honor to take on the role of artistic director for 2016,” Rosenthal said in a statement released to press. “As one of the oldest biennales, it is an ideal opportunity to assess what such an event could and should do in a location like Sydney where so many different cultures and languages come together.”
In the top curatorial slot, Rosenthal follows Juliana Engberg, whose show, which closed in June, was marked by the withdrawal of a number of artists who were protesting the show’s funding from Transfield, a company that operates offshore immigration detention centers.
Rosenthal has been chief curator at the Hayward since 2007, and has organized one-person shows of work by Robin Rhode, Pipilotti Rist, and Ana Mendieta. She also organized the delectable-looking 2010 group show “MOVE: Choreographing You,” which was about contemporary art and dance, and which you can have a look at over at the Hayward’s website.