Florence Biennale 2025, to Tim Burton the prestigious International Lifetime Achievement Award

U.S. director and artist Tim Burton will receive the prestigious International “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th Florence Biennale - International Exhibition of Contemporary Art and Design scheduled for October 18-26, 2025 at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence and will have as its theme “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness. Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design”(The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness. Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design).

Considered one of the most visionary and original filmmakers of our time, Burton will be honored with the award on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 at the Florence Biennale’s theater area.

The Curatorial Committee’s motivations were anticipated by the exhibition’s General Director, Jacopo Celona: “The award is Florence Biennale’s recognition of one of the most important artists of our time for his extraordinary artistic work spanning drawing, graphic design, stop-motion animation and film production. Through his works, Tim Burton has revolutionized the perspective that sees darkness as synonymous with evil, bringing forth new concepts of beauty through magical and poetic visions, breaking down stereotypes associated with dualisms and promoting a profound understanding of human nature and the connections between our limited and fragile earthly world and the immensity of the universe: a new intangible, spiritual, transcendental perspective, capable of giving emotional awareness of the infinite, which configures his works as artistic expressions of absolute extraordinariness and as an enduring cultural legacy for both the art community and the global audience.”

“I am very honored to be the newest recipient of the ’Lorenzo the Magnificent’ Lifetime Achievement Award, joining the list of extraordinary artists honored in the past,” was how Tim Burton commented on the news of the award. “This award also gives me the opportunity to create an exhibition in Florence for the Biennale, and I look forward to exploring this year’s theme of dualism and unity through my art and reflecting on those opposites that do not exist without each other: light and dark, good and evil, order and chaos.”

Before establishing himself as a director, Tim Burton developed his talent through drawing, painting and photography, disciplines that continue to be an integral part of his creative process, characterized by a style so distinctive that it inspired the adjective “Burtonesque.” His prolific artistic output has been collected in volumes such as The Art of Tim Burton, 430 pages documenting more than four decades of his creativity. In conjunction with the publication, the Museum of Modern Art in New York dedicated a major retrospective to his work, which subsequently traveled to Melbourne, Toronto, Los Angeles, Paris, and Seoul. A second exhibition, The World of Tim Burton, touched cities such as Prague, Tokyo, Osaka, Brühl, São Paulo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Genk and Mexico City, continuing his international tour.

In parallel, as a director, Burton has written, directed and produced numerous films that have entered film history, spanning genres and leaving an indelible imprint on the film industry. He is credited for kicking off the era of superhero films with Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), for revamping stop-motion animation with Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and The Corpse Bride (2005), and for reinterpreting the musical in a dark key with Sweeney Todd (2007). He has also created some of the most iconic antiheroes of the silver screen, such as Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).

His most recent works include the film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) and the hit television series Wednesday (2022 - ongoing). With an unmistakable style that crosses genres, Tim Burton continues to be one of the most distinctive and influential voices in contemporary cinema.

Florence Biennale 2025, to Tim Burton the prestigious International Lifetime Achievement Award

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