Roberto Cicutto

Awarding the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to Armando Punzo – a man whose name is singularly bound up with the meaning of a specific project – stands as the defining feature of a Festival that wants to take the reins; that seeks to show us there is always a purpose to what we see.

Of course, artistic talent will always find thousands of ways to tell stories and evoke feelings. Yet the times we are living through are plain to see, and it is hard to avoid the urgency they demand and the questions they pose.

We have always maintained that La Biennale’s performing arts festivals are more than a simple review of what the Artistic Directors deem the best work in their respective fields. On the contrary, they are ongoing projects that unfold over a four-year term, furthering knowledge and experimentation.

It is my belief that Stefano Ricci and Gianni Forte have captured the spirit of this mandate exceptionally well; that is why the work developed within the College has acquired such crucial importance. These pieces constitute a vital part of the Festival, on a par with those of already established, internationally renowned artists.

For La Biennale di Venezia, this benchmark is one that we hope will continue to be adopted in future: it constitutes the very heart of an institutional mission which, even as it brings contemporary experience to life, is already on a path towards the future.

Our thanks go to the Ministero della Cultura and the Regione Veneto, the regional Institutions that each in their own way support La Biennale, the City of Venice, the Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio per il Comune di Venezia e Laguna, and the Italian Navy. We would also like to thank Rai, Media Partner for La Biennale di Venezia.