Bice Curiger

Beatrice "Bice" Curiger (born 1948 in Zurich, Switzerland) is a Swiss art historian, curator, critic and publisher who has been the Artistic Director of the Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles since 2013. In 2011 she became only the third woman to curate the Venice Biennale.

Early life Curiger was born in 1948 in Zurich, Switzerland. She studied art history at the University of Zurich. After graduation she became an art critic at the Swiss daily newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. In 2011, she chaired the jury of the Preis der Nationalgalerie, which was awarded to Cyprien Gaillard.

54th Venice Biennale In 2011 Curiger curated the 54th Venice Biennale, which she entitled ILLUMinations. She was the third-ever woman to curate the prestigious event since its inception (Maria de Corral and Rosa Martinez co-curated the Biennale in 2005). Curiger explained that the name of the exhibition was meant to "shed light on the institution itself, drawing attention to dormant and unrecognized opportunities, as well as to conventions that need to be challenged." Curiger asked five open questions to all participating artists: Where do you feel at Home? Does the future speak English or another language? Is the artistic community a nation? How many nations do you feel inside yourself? If art was a nation what would be written in its constitution? Curiger selected 84 artists for her exhibition. The museum is dedicated to Vincent van Gogh's time spent in Arles and organizes exhibits that foster relationships between van Gogh and contemporary artists.

In 2016, Curiger was a member of the jury which selected Njideka Akunyili Crosby as recipient of the Prix Canson. She also served on the juries that selected Beatriz Milhazes (2021-22) and Cao Fei (2022-23) as participants in the “Safety Curtain” series at the Vienna State Opera.

In 2019, Curiger was part of the selection committee that chose Andrea Lissoni as director of Haus der Kunst.

Other activities Swiss Institute Contemporary Art New York, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2016)

Publications In 1984 Curiger co-founded the bi-annual contemporary art magazine Parkett. She has been the Editor-in-Chief since its founding. and has also curated and co-curated numerous contemporary art exhibitions, including: Meret Oppenheim (1991), Centre Cultural Suisse

In 2014 Curiger was named by Artnet as one of the twenty-six most powerful European women in the Art World.

In 2022, Franz und Walther König published the book C is for Curator: Bice Curiger, A Life in Art by Dora Imhof that recaps Curiger's career.

Awards and honours Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (France) 2007 – Heinrich Wölfflin Medal of the City of Zurich 2009 – SI Award of the Swiss Institute Contemporary Art New York 2012 – Culture Prize from the Canton of Zurich 2012 – Swiss Grand Award for Art / Prix Meret Oppenheim of the Federal Office of Culture.