Flavia — (final press release) La Biennale di Venezia
Topic(s): Art World Stuff | Comments Off on Flavia — (final press release) La Biennale di Venezia========================
ed. note:
was wondering if we should even post
this, considering it it is a press release,
but it is interesting to see how these
big biennales think, in terms of their
conception of accountability.
-rg
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La Biennale di Venezia
The 50th International Art Exhibition has come to an end
260,103 visitors
The 50th International Art Exhibtion of the Venice Biennale, directed by Francesco Bonami closed on Sunday 2nd November 2003.
The Exhibition was hosted in the Biennale Gardens, within the historical spaces of the Arsenale (Corderie, Artiglierie, Gaggiandre, Tese delle Vergini), and at the Museo Correr covering a total of 15,400 square metres of exhibition space. 380 artists were presented in the main exhibition Dreams and Conflicts: The Dictatorship of the Viewer. A total of 62 nations participated in the event, and a further 19 Extra 50. exhibitions were realized.
A total of 260,103 tickets were issued, with an average of 1,806 visitors per day, which resulted in a rise of 17 % respect to the 49th Exhibition (which also had a longer duration). The total proceeds exceeded 2,390,000 Euro with an increase of +29%.
82,101 young people under 26 visited the 50th Exhibition (32% of the total).
The overall cost of the 50th International Art Exhibition was 8,200,000 Euro for a total income of 5,000,000 Euro.
The final income exceeded the expected number by +61% faced with a +28%. increase in costs.
Over 150 state and private institutions from all over the world supported artists at the 50th Exhibition, which resulted in a total funding of 437,672 Euro for the event.
Illy Caffè and Festival Crociere were the main sponsors of the Exhibition. 16 companies and private national, and international groups participated as sponsors and partners, resulting in a record income of 1,092,655 Euro (+264% respect to the number estimated for 2003; +89% respect to that of 2001) and around 2,000,000 Euro, indirectly, for the promotion and publicity of the 50th Exhibition on behalf of the companies and institutions involved.
Co-production with both national and international groups for the realization and presentation of the singular sections of the Exhibition in various cities produced a total income of 537,872 Euro (0 in 2001).
841 groups of visitors with pre-booked tickets attended the 50th Exhibtion,
thanks to an new promotional project for contemporary art involving Coop Consumatori, Compagnia delle Opere, ACLI, Art Cities in Europe, Cral and cultural organisations, active both nationally and internationally.
The Educational Project was of great success, with a total participation of 3,371 people including children, students of secondary school level, and parents, took part in the workshops and educational courses.
192 educational workshops were carried out.
An estimated 500,000 people visited the exhibitions of the 30 countries without Pavilions in the Giardini, and a further 19 Extra 50. exhibitions set up around the city.
13,941 catalogues were sold, of which 28% English editions.
A record number of 9394 accredited journalists visited the 50th International Exhibition of which 3370 Italian, and 6024 foreign from 66 Countries.
25 covers of foreign magazines were dedicated to the 50th Exhibition.
Some of the most important international newspapers covered the Exhibition with news and reviews including “The New York Times”, “Washington Post”, “The Wall Street Journal”, “Herald Tribune International”, “Time”, “Newsweek”, “The Times”, “Financial Times”, “The Economist”, “Le Monde”, “Libération”, “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, “Handelsblatt”, “Der Spiegel”, “Focus”, “Stern”, “El Pais”, and “Asahi Shimbun”, not to mention prestigious specialised publications amongst which; “Art Forum”, “Kunstforum”, “Kunstzeitung”, “Art Rewiew”, “Frieze”, “Art Press”, “Art in America”, “Art das KunstMagazine”, “Descubrir el Arte”, and “Bijutsu Teccho”; entertainment and womens’ magazines, such as “Vogue”, “Elle”, “Vanity Fair”, and “GQ”, in editions all over the world.
56 Italian and 84 foreign television companies were accredited.
Tv crews came all the way from Australia, Brasil, Chile, China, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay, and USA.
Around 8,000 articles were published on Internet sites all over the world.
From 1st June until 2nd November, the official website of the Biennale www.labiennale.org, recieved a total number of 975,000 requested pages (an average of 6.500 pages per day) and 100.000 visitors. The section dedicated to the Exhibition featured on-line video footage of the much attended vernissage and inaguration events, as well as images, interactive maps, interviews, and other information published exclusively on the web.
BlogWork, the digital art networking project, recieved great success with around 80,000 individual visitors.
Press and public followed the 99 – Every idea but one and Tipping Point conferences organised by the Archive of Contemporary Art, taking place in the Arsenale and spanning the whole duration of the Exhibition. Influential figures in the world of science, philosophy, and psychology, as well as journalists and leading figures on the contemporary art scene, contributed their experience in order to go into further depth into today’s topical issues.
The 50th Exhibition was inaugurated by the Italian Minister of Culture, Giuliano Urbani. Amongst leading figures in the world of politics, culture, and industry who visited the Exhibition were; Marcello Pera, President of the Italian Senate, Nicola Bono, a member of the Ministry of Italian Culture, M.me Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Culture, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, Minister of French Culture, M.me Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Luxembourger Minister of Culture, Mr. Alexander Downer, Australian Minister of Federal Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lee Boon Yang, Singaporean Minister of Culture, philosophers Jean Baudrillard and Michel Maffesoli, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison, Alberto Bevilacqua, Enzo Siciliano, Sandro Veronesi, Francesco Rutelli, Fausto Bertinotti, HRH Paola of Liegi, Queen of Belgium, HRH Sonja, Queen of Norway, Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoia, Princess Caroline of Monaco, Luciano Benetton, Renzo Rosso, and Charles Saatchi, as well as other personalities from the world of entertainment, fashion, and journalism, such as Dennis Hopper, Elton John, Marco Paolini, Stella McCartney, Miuccia Prada, Ralph Simmons, Magdi Allan and Bruno Vespa.
Venice, 4 November 2003