Pietrangelo Buttafuoco appointed president of the Venice Biennale

Barring any last-minute twists and turns, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco will be the new president of Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia. The Sicilian journalist was nominated today by Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano. The nomination proposal has been sent to the House and Senate, and now the culture committees of the two branches of parliament must give their opinions by Nov. 14. Buttafuoco will take the place of Roberto Cicutto, who was called to head the Biennale in January 2020 by then-Minister Dario Franceschini. Cicutto will remain in office until March 2024. After Alessandro Giuli at MAXXI and Sangiuliano himself at the Collegio Romano, Buttafuoco is the third journalist to be appointed to a top role for culture during the Meloni government.

Born in Catania in 1963, Buttafuoco holds a degree in philosophy from his hometown university. In addition to being a journalist, he is a writer and playwright. The grandson of a former MSI parliamentarian, Antonino Buttafuoco, he was a national leader of the Front for Youth, was a member of the MSI central committee and remained in the National Alliance until 2003. His journalistic career began precisely in newspapers linked to the right, particularly in the Secolo d’Italia, where he was editor. He then worked with L’Italia settimanale, of which he was editor in 1996, Il Giornale, Il Foglio, Panorama, La Repubblica, Il Fatto Quotidiano and Il Quotidiano del Sud. On television he has worked on Canale5 and La7 (he was also host of the program Otto e mezzo for a few months in 2007). In 2015 he converted to the Muslim religion, and in 2019 he got his first role at a cultural institution, becoming president of the Teatro Stabile d’Abruzzo.

“With President Roberto Cicutto we will continue until March 2024 the work to guarantee La Biennale and its prestigious activities an international level of excellence,” commented Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro. “A commitment that has always seen us collaborate and develop important projects that have contributed to making Venice, in the metropolitan sense, a place projected towards the future, with particular attention to the younger generations. There will be an opportunity to publicly thank him for his energy and passion. To Pierangelo Buttafuoco, while waiting to meet him to meet him personally, I welcome him to Venice on behalf of myself and the entire City. Minister Sangiuliano has entrusted him with an important role, given his great professional experience in the cultural field. I will discuss with him how to further develop the activities of Fondazione La Biennale.”

Pietrangelo Buttafuoco appointed president of the Venice Biennale

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