The Australia Council for the Arts today announced the selection panel for the Australian representation at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

The 2007 artist/s will be chosen by a panel comprising John Kaldor AM, Australian Commissioner; Lesley Alway, chair, visual arts board, Australia Council; Juliana Engberg, artistic director, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art; and Rachel Kent, senior curator, Museum of Contemporary Art.

The closing date for expressions of interest from individual artists or artist groups who have had a significant exhibition history in Australia and internationally is 21 April. A decision will be announced in mid-2006.

The artist/s will be selected on the basis of the excellence and relevance of their work in the international context of the Venice Biennale 2007. Proposals are being sought for the national Pavilion in the Giardini, as well as for alternative spaces in Venice. These will provide opportunities for additional Australian artists to be showcased at the prestigious, high-profile event. Other team members will then be chosen, and there are likely to be opportunities for curatorial input.

The Australia Council is also pleased to announce that it has appointed Juliana Engberg, Artistic Director, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art as Senior Curatorial Advisor for 2007. This is a new position working with the Australian Commissioner. Ms Engberg will provide high-level curatorial input; assist in shaping the artistic outcomes of the event; offer advice to artists and colleagues; increase the outreach of the event; and provide strategic advice on international contemporary art in the context of Venice.

Ms Engberg brings a wealth of expertise, knowledge and international curatorial experience and networks that will complement those of the Australian Commissioner and the Australia Council team. She is recognised as a leading curator and critic, having staged more than 400 exhibitions locally and overseas, and has written extensively for national and international media.

The Emerging and Established Curators programs, which in 2005 saw 20 Australians participate in the professional preview, will be developed further in 2007. In addition, there will be exciting new opportunities for young artists and educators.

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, Howard Arkley, Patricia Piccinini and Ricky Swallow.