Artist, dancer and choreographer honoured with Venice Biennale’s award for lifetime achievement
Artist, dancer and choreographer, Simone Forti was awarded the Venice Biennale’s Golden Lion for lifetime achievement.
Born in 1935 in Italy, Forti grew up in the United States and became best known for her choreography, including her 1961 performance series Dance Constructions, which re-examined everyday pedestrian movements. Forti has collaborated with many artists including Nam June Paik, Trisha Brown, Charlemagne Palestine, Steve Paxton, La Monte Young, Peter Van Riper, Dan Graham, Yoshi Wada and Robert Morris.
Her works are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York as well as Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum and Vienna’s Generali Foundation. An exhibition that surveys her career is currently on view at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles through 2 April.
Regarding the award, the artist said: ‘I didn’t know what the Golden Lion was. If someone has to take the role and stand there holding it, I am honoured to be the one to do it for the community.’
