The Australia Council for the Arts today announced the appointment of Mr John Kaldor AM as Commissioner for the Australian Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

‘Mr Kaldor’s contribution as the 2005 Venice Biennale Commissioner was extraordinary. We are thrilled that he has accepted our invitation to build on those outstanding achievements,’ said Australia Council for the Arts CEO, Jennifer Bott.

‘Mr Kaldor’s leadership and dedication saw our 2005 exhibition, featuring Ricky Swallow, draw a record-breaking 186,700 visitors, generate strong media interest, attract the attention of the world’s leading gallery directors and a tour of important works to the prestigious gallery PS1, an affiliate of MoMA in New York.’

‘His tireless fundraising efforts and the support of UBS, Maddocks, Arts Victoria, Art & Australia and Arts WA plus more than 75 donors enabled an exceptional presentation. Australian arts supporters were keen ambassadors and a complementary mentorship program gave invaluable insights for about 20 key Australian curators during the opening period.’

‘The Australia Council looks forward to working with Mr Kaldor on the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2007, consolidating and enhancing the opportunities created in 2005.’

Mr Kaldor said he was delighted to accept the role for a second time. ‘The Biennale is a critical forum for promoting Australian contemporary visual art, as thousands of the world’s leading collectors, curators and critics attend this biennial event,’ Mr Kaldor said: ‘I am looking forward to working with the Australia Council team to build on our success at the last Biennale, showcasing the best of Australian art.’

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Mr Kaldor arrived in Australia in 1949. He is internationally respected for his passionate support of contemporary art and since 1969 has brought prominent contemporary artists to Australia through his John Kaldor Art Projects.

He is on the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate Modern in London, the Board of the Biennale of Sydney, and was formerly Chairman of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and a Trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. His contribution to contemporary art was acknowledged with the award of the Order of Australia in 1994. He is the founder of John Kaldor Fabricmaker.

The Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, manages and funds the Australian Pavilion at the Biennale which has profiled artists such as Judy Watson, Bill Henson, Howard Arkley and Patricia Piccinini.

Proposals by artists/curators for the 2007 Australian Pavilion will be sought shortly.