"May You Live in Interesting Times" - Ralph Rugoff, the curator of Venice Biennale Arte 2019

Ralph Rugoff & Paolo Baratta - Photo: Cat Bauer

(Venice, Italy) This morning the press in Venice had the opportunity to meet Ralph Rugoff, the curator of  next year's La Biennale 58th International Art Exhibition. Rugoff chose the intriguing title, "May You Live in Interesting Times," based on what he initially thought was an ancient Chinese curse. However, after he did some research, he learned that there never was any such ancient Chinese curse, even though Western politicians have made reference to it in speeches for over a hundred years. So, Biennale Arte 2019 is titled after a counterfeit curse -- false information repeated over the decades -- fitting for the times in which we live.

Honestly, the moment I read the press notes, I knew something was wrong. I thought the word "curse," which was in the second paragraph, had been mistranslated. The translator came over and assured me the translation was correct. If I had read through all the notes before reacting, I would have learned the story behind the title. Now that I know the story, I think it is a terrific choice for Biennale Arte 2019, and made Rugoff's decision to keep the title after knowing there was no such curse even more fascinating. 

Rugoff, an American based in London, is the Director of the Hayward Gallery, considered one of the leading public art galleries in the United Kingdom. He said that Paolo Baratta, the President of La Biennale, called him on the phone, and said, "This is Paolo Baratta. Do you know who I am?" and invited him to lunch in Rome. Rugoff said he was thrilled and excited, although he did not know exactly the reason for the invitation. They had an excellent lunch, and Rugoff found Baratta to be a "highly cultured, civilized man."

Rugoff said that he had attended Biennale Arte in the past, and found it exhausting -- there was enough art to see in two weeks, let alone two or three days. May You Live in Interesting Times aims to "welcome its public to an expansive experience of the deep involvement, absorption and creative learning that art makes possible. This will entail engaging visitors in a series of encounters that are essentially playful, taking into account that it is when we play that we are most fully 'human.'"

Ralph Rugoff & Paolo Baratta - Photo by Andrea Avezzù, courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia

Rugoff is the very first UK-based curator to helm the exhibition, and the first American since Roger Storr in 2007. He didn't give details about which artists he would invite, but said he was committed to doing a great amount of research, to travel around the world and talk to artists."How much can I learn that I don't know now?" He said he was not going to appoint assistant curators, or have a committee, but invite artists based on recommendations of other artists. He said he trusted artists the most, and "every good curator is only as good as their network of artists."

I found Rugoff's energy to be friendly and engaging, an American whose demeanor has been enhanced by years of living abroad. He very much believes that art is a conversation. Hopefully, May You Live in Interesting Times will provoke some compelling dialogue. Who knows what interesting times we will be living in next May?

May You Live in Interesting Times, La Biennale di Venezia 58th International Art Exhibition will run from May 11 through November 24, 2019, with previews on May 8th, 9th and 10th. Go to La Biennale for more information.

Ciao from Venezia,
Cat Bauer
Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog