Klaus Biesenbach (born 1966)Erica Orden (December 26, 2009)
Herr Zeitgeist
''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...

''. is a European American curator and the museum director. He is the Director of the

Neue Nationalgalerie The Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) at the Kulturforum is a museum for modern art in Berlin, with its main focus on the early 20th century. It is part of the National Gallery of the Berlin State Museums. The museum building and its ...

, with

Berggruen Museum The Berggruen Museum (also known as the Berggruen Collection) is a collection of modern art classics in Berlin, which the collector and dealer Heinz Berggruen, in a "gesture of reconciliation", gave to his native city. The most notable artists ...

and

Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection The Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection (german: Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg) is an art museum in Berlin. Its collection of paintings, graphics and sculptures, spanning the period from French Romanticism to Surrealism, is currently housed in former ro ...

, as well as the Berlin Museum of Modern Art under construction, Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts. Previously, he had been serving as the director of The

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) is a contemporary art museum with two locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. MOCA's o ...

(MOCA), from 2018 to 2021. He is also a former Chief Curator at Large at

The Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of the ...

in New York City and former director of

MoMA PS1 MoMA PS1 is a contemporary art institution located in Court Square in the Long Island City neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York City. In addition to its exhibitions, the institution organizes the Sunday Sessions performance series, th ...

. He is also the founding director of

Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art The KW Institute for Contemporary Art (also known as Kunst-Werke) is a contemporary art institution located in Auguststraße 69 in Berlin-Mitte, Germany. Klaus Biesenbach was the founding director of KW; the current director is Krist Gruijthuijs ...

(KW) in Berlin, and the

Berlin Biennale The Berlin Biennale (full name: Berlin Biennale für zeitgenössische Kunst, Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art) is a contemporary art exhibition, which has been held at various locations in Berlin, Germany, every two to three years since 1998. T ...

Early life

Biesenbach was born in 1966, in

Bergisch Gladbach Bergisch Gladbach () is a city in the Cologne/Bonn Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (district). Geography Bergisch Gladbach is located east of the river Rhine, approx. 10 kilometers east of ...

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

. From 1987, he began studying medicine in Munich. He moved to Berlin in the mid-1990s, where he shared an apartment with artist

Andrea Zittel Andrea Zittel (born 1965) is an American artist based in Joshua Tree, CA whose practice encompasses spaces, objects and modes of living in an ongoing investigation that explores the questions "How to live?" and "What gives life meaning?" Early li ...

at one point.

Career

Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art

Biesenbach founded Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art (KW) in Berlin in 1991, as well as the

in 1996, and remains Founding Director of both entities. Under his artistic and executive directorship, KW and the Berlin Biennale were started as self-inventive initiatives and are now federally and state funded institutions.

MoMA, and MOMA PS1

Biesenbach joined MoMA PS1 as a curator in 1996; the museum's director

Alanna Heiss Alanna Heiss (born May 13, 1943, in Louisville, Kentucky) is the Founder and Director of Clocktower Productions, a non profit arts organization, online radio station, and program partnership with six cultural institutions in three boroughs in Ne ...

had hired him part-time while allowing him to maintain his directorship in Berlin. Working with Heiss, he created the "Warm Up" outdoor summer series of live music and helped found the "Greater New York" exhibition series, which showcases emerging talent in the metropolitan area.Robin Pogrebin (July 31, 2018)
MOCA Chooses MoMA PS1 Director to Lead Museum
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''. In 2004, Biesenbach was appointed as a curator in the

MoMA Moma may refer to: People * Moma Clarke (1869–1958), British journalist * Moma Marković (1912–1992), Serbian politician * Momčilo Rajin (born 1954), Serbian art and music critic, theorist and historian, artist and publisher Places ; Ang ...

's "Department of Film and Media". He was named Chief Curator of MoMA's newly formed ''Department of Media'', in 2006; it was the first new curatorial department since photography, in 1940. By 2009, it was subsequently broadened to the ''Department of Media and Performance Art'' to reflect the Museum's increased focus on collecting, preserving, and exhibiting performance art. As Chief Curator of the department, Biesenbach led a range of pioneering initiatives, including the launch of a new performance art exhibition series; an ongoing series of workshops for artists and curators; acquisitions of media and performance art; and the Museum's presentation in 2010 of a major retrospective of the work of

Marina Abramović Marina Abramović ( sr-Cyrl, Марина Абрамовић, ; born November 30, 1946) is a Serbian conceptual and performance artist. Her work explores body art, endurance art, feminist art, the relationship between the performer and audienc ...

. In 2012, Biesenbach turned MoMA P.S. 1 into a temporary day shelter for displaced residents after

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

. He drafted an open letter to the then

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Mayor,

Michael R. Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...

and fellow New Yorkers that called for help in the

Rockaways The Rockaway Peninsula, commonly referred to as The Rockaways or Rockaway, is a peninsula at the southern edge of the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, New York. Relatively isolated from Manhattan and other more urban parts of ...

, signed by celebrities including

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Ma ...

Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (; born ) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Paltrow gained notice for her early work in films ...

and

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album '' Horses''. Called the "punk poe ...

. In addition to his role at MoMA, Biesenbach served as member of the International Jury at the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

(1997) and as co-curator of the Berlin Biennale (1998) and 2002 Shanghai Biennale (2002).

MOCA

In 2018, Biesenbach was appointed director of the

. During his time as director, Biesenbach introduced free admission to the museum with a $10 million gift from

Carolyn Clark Powers Carolyn is a female given name, a variant of Caroline. Other spellings include Karolyn, Carolyne, Carolynn or Carolynne. Caroline itself is one of the feminine forms of Charles. List of Notable People *Carolyn Bennett (born 1950), Canadian pol ...

, founded the first Environmental Council at any American museum and started the Performance Space Wonmi's Warehouse Programs while commissioning Larry Bell's, ''Bill and Coo'' and ''Untitled'' by

Barbara Kruger Barbara Kruger (born January 26, 1945) is an American conceptual artist and collagist associated with the Pictures Generation. She is most known for her collage style that consists of black-and-white photographs, overlaid with declarative captio ...

as public art projects. As part of a 2021 reorganization, Biesenbach was later named artistic director, with a mandate to focus on setting the artistic vision for the museum, overseeing exhibitions and collections. Shortly after, Johanna Burton was appointed as executive director.

Neue Nationalgalerie

In September 2021, Biesenbach was appointed as new director of both the

with

and

and the future Museum of the 20th Century.

Other activities

American Academy in Berlin The American Academy in Berlin is a private, independent, nonpartisan research and cultural institution in Berlin dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the long-term intellectual, cultural, and political ties between the United States and Germany ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees *

, Member of the Advisory Board *

KW Institute for Contemporary Art The KW Institute for Contemporary Art (also known as Kunst-Werke) is a contemporary art institution located in Auguststraße 69 in Berlin-Mitte, Germany. Klaus Biesenbach was the founding director of KW; the current director is Krist Gruijthuijsen ...

, Member of the Board

Recognition

In 2021, Biesenbach was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts by the

New York Academy of Art The New York Academy of Art is a private art school in Tribeca, New York City. The academy offers a Master of Fine Arts degree with a focus on technical training and critical discourse as well as a Post-baccalaureate Certificate of Fine Art. The ...

. In 2016, Biesenbach was awarded the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

. In 2018 he received the City of New York Proclamation of Honor for service to New York City. Biesenbach received the

International Association of Art Critics The International Association of Art Critics (''Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art'', ''AICA'') was founded in 1950 to revitalize critical discourse, which suffered under Fascism during World War II. Affiliated with UNESCO AICA was ad ...

(AICA) award for the exhibitions Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present,

Pipilotti Rist Pipilotti Elisabeth Rist (born 21 June 1962) is a Swiss visual artist best known for creating experimental video art and installation art. Her work is often described as surreal, intimate, abstract art, having a preoccupation with the female bo ...

: Pour Your Body Out (7354 Cubic Meters), and Fassbinder: Berlin Alexanderplatz. He also received AICA awards for co-curating the exhibitions

Kenneth Anger Kenneth Anger (born Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer, February 3, 1927) is an American underground experimental filmmaker, actor, and author. Working exclusively in short films, he has produced almost 40 works since 1937, nine of which have been grouped ...

, 100 Years (version #2, ps1, nov 2009), and Roth Time: A

Dieter Roth Dieter Roth (April 21, 1930 – June 5, 1998) was a Swiss artist best known for his artist's books, editioned prints, sculptures, and works made of found materials, including rotting food stuffs. He was also known as Dieter Rot and Diter Rot. ...

Retrospective and ''100 Years (version #2 PS1, Nov 2009)'' at MoMA PS1 and MoMA QNS, as well as ''

'' (2009) at MoMA PS1.and ''100 Years (version #2 PS1, Nov 2009)'' at MoMA PS1 and MoMA QNS, as well as ''

'' (2009) at MoMA PS1.

Exhibitions

As Director at MOCA, Los Angeles, Klaus Biesenbach introduced free admission to the museum, founded the first Environmental Council at any American museum and started the Performance Space ''Wonmi's Warehouse Programs'' while commissioning Larry Bell's, ''Bill and Coo'' and ''Untitled'' by Barbara Kruger as public art projects. As director he diversified the collection and exhibition program by supporting exhibitions with artists like Xu Zhen,

Jennifer Packer Jennifer Packer (born 1984) is a contemporary American painter and educator based in New York City. Packer's subject matter includes political portraits, interior scenes, and still life featuring contemporary Black American experiences. She paints ...

, Henry Taylor,

Tala Madani Tala Madani (born 1981) is an Iranian-born American artist, well-known for her contemporary paintings, drawings, and animations. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Early life and education Madani was born in Tehran, Iran in 1981. From the ag ...

Judy Baca Judith Francisca Baca (born September 20, 1946) is an American artist, activist, and professor of Chicano studies, world arts, and cultures based at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the co-founder and artistic director of the So ...

, Annika Yi, Garrett Bradley,

Cao Fei Cao Fei ( zh, 曹斐; born 1978) is a Chinese multimedia artist born in Guangzhou, China, Guangzhou. Her work, which includes video, performance, and digital media, examines the daily life of Chinese citizens born after the Cultural Revolution. Her ...

, and

Simone Forti Simone Forti (born March 25, 1935), is an American Italian Postmodern artist, dancer, choreographer, and writer. Since the 1950s, Forti has exhibited, performed, and taught workshops all over the world. Her innovations in Postmodern dance, inclu ...

. During Covid he pivoted the museum programs online to virtual MOCA where he conducted twenty-five studio visits with international artists that were distributed on the museum's website, social media, and YouTube. In addition he fundraised with artists' designed facemasks by

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

Catherine Opie Catherine Sue Opie (born 1961) is an American fine-art photographer and educator. She lives and works in Los Angeles, as a professor of photography at University of California at Los Angeles. Opie studies the connections between mainstream and i ...

Mark Grotjahn Mark Grotjahn (born 1968) is an American painter best known for abstract work and bold geometric paintings. Grotjahn lives and works in Los Angeles. Early life and education Grotjahn was born in Pasadena, but grew up in the Bay Area.Arcy Douglas ...

Hank Willis Thomas Hank Willis Thomas (born 1976 in Plainfield, New Jersey; lives and works in Brooklyn, NY) is an American conceptual artist working primarily with themes related to identity, history, and popular culture. Early life and education Hank Willis Th ...

Virgil Abloh Virgil Abloh (; September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. He was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection beginning in 2018, and was given increased creative responsibilitie ...

Alex Israel Alex Israel (born October 1982) is an American multimedia artist, writer, and eyewear designer from Los Angeles. His work includes large, colorful airbrushed paintings of abstract gradients and Los Angeles skies, his self-portraits, painted on ...

and sold them internationally in collaboration with the

Warhol Foundation Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...

, the

Qatar Museums Qatar Museums (formerly the Qatar Museums Authority) is a Qatari government entity that oversees the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, MIA Park, QM Gallery at Katara (cultural village), ...

and the K11 Hongkong.

Exhibitions organized and co-organized by Biesenbach at MoMA

* The Modern Window:

Firelei Báez Firelei Báez (born 1981) is a Dominican artist based in New York City known for intricate works on paper and canvas, as well as large scale sculpture. Her art explores the Western canon through the elements of non-Western reading. Báez's wo ...

, MoMA (2018–2019) * Unfinished Conversations: New Work from the Collection, co-organized (2017) *

Xaviera Simmons Xaviera Simmons is an American contemporary artist. She works in photography, performance, painting, video, sound art, sculpture, and installation. Since 2019, Simmons has been a visiting professor and lecturer at Harvard University. Simmons was ...

: The Gold Miner's Mission to Dwell on the Tide Line (Dez 2015 – May 2017) * Teiji Furuhashi: Lovers, co-organized (2016) *

Nan Goldin Nancy Goldin (born September 12, 1953) is an American photographer and activist. Her work often explores LGBT subcultures, moments of intimacy, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the opioid epidemic. Her most notable work is '' The Ballad of Sexual Depe ...

: The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (2016) *

: One Woman Show, 1960–1971 (2015) *

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

(2015) * Antony and the Johnsons: Swanlights with Symphony Orchestra, commissioned by

and performed at

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...

(2012) *

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

– Retrospective 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (2012) *

Francis Alÿs Francis Alÿs (born 1959, Antwerp) is a Belgian-born, Mexico-based artist. His work emerges in the interdisciplinary space of art, architecture, and social practice. In 1986, Alÿs left behind his profession as an architect and relocated to Me ...

: A Story of Deception (2011) *

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

: Motion Pictures (2010) *

: The Artist is Present (2010) *

William Kentridge William Kentridge (born 28 April 1955) is a South African artist best known for his prints, drawings, and animated films, especially noted for a sequence of hand-drawn animated films he produced during the 1990s. The latter are constructed by ...

: Five Themes, co-organized (2010) *

Tehching Hsieh Tehching (Sam) Hsieh (謝德慶; born 31 December 1950; Nan-Chou, Pingtung County, Taiwan) is a US performance artist of Taiwanese background. He has been called a "master" by fellow performance artist Marina Abramović. Early life Hsieh was one ...

: Performance 1 (2009) * Roman Ondák: Performance 4 (2009) *

: Pour Your Body Out (7354 Cubic Meters) (2008) *

Olafur Eliasson Olafur Eliasson ( is, Ólafur Elíasson; born 5 February 1967) is an Icelandic–Danish artist known for sculptured and large-scale installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer's ...

: Take your time. co-curated with Roxana Marcoci, Curator, Department of Photography (2008) *

Sigalit Landau Sigalit Ethel Landau ( he, סיגלית לנדאו; born 1969) is an Israeli sculptor, video and installation artist. Biography Sigalit Ethel Landau was born in 1969 in Jerusalem. She spent several years in the US and the UK. Between 1990 and 1 ...

: Projects 87 (2008) *

Abbas Kiarostami Abbas Kiarostami ( fa, عباس کیارستمی ; 22 June 1940 – 4 July 2016) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, poet, photographer, and film producer. An active filmmaker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in the production of ...

: Image Maker (2007) *

Doug Aitken Doug Aitken (born 1968) is an American artist. Aitken's body of work ranges from photography, print media, sculpture, and architectural interventions, to narrative films, sound, single and multi-channel video works, installations, and live perf ...

: Sleepwalkers, co-commissioned with Creative Time (2007) *

Douglas Gordon Douglas Gordon (born 20 September 1966) is a Scottish artist. He won the Turner Prize in 1996, the Premio 2000 at the 47th Venice Biennale in 1997 and the Hugo Boss Prize in 1998. He lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Work Much of Gordon's w ...

: Timeline (2006) * Take Two. Worlds and Views: Contemporary Art from the Collection, co-organized with Roxana Marcoci (2005) * New Works/ New Acquisitions, co-organized with Ann Temkin (2004)

Exhibitions organized and co-organized by Biesenbach at MoMA PS1

* Rockaway! Narcissus Garden by Yayoi Kusama (2018) * Elle Pérez: Diabolo (2018) * Walter Price: New Paintings (2018) * Reza Abdoh, co-organized (2018) * Land: Zhang Huan and Li Binyuan (2018) * Michael E Smith (2017) * Alvaro Barrington (Painting Studio) (2017) * Stanya Kahn: Stand in the Stream (2017) * Vito Acconci: Where We Are Now (Who Are We Anyway?) (2016) * Cao Fei (2016) *

Katharina Grosse Katharina Grosse (born 2 October 1961) is a German artist. As an artist, Grosse's work employs a use of architecture, sculpture and painting. She is known for her large-scale, site-related installations to create immersive visual experiences. Sh ...

: Rockaway!, painted house on the ocean (2016) * Wael Shawky: Cabaret Crusades (2015) *

's Stonemilker by Andrew Thomas Huang (2015) * Halil Altindere: Wonderland (2015) * Korakrit Arunanondchai (2014) *

Christoph Schlingensief Christoph Maria Schlingensief (24 October 1960 – 21 August 2010) was a German theatre director, performance artist, and filmmaker. Starting as an independent underground filmmaker, Schlingensief later staged productions for theatres and festivals ...

, co-organized (2014) * Rockaway Projekte with Patti Smith, Janet Cardiff, Adrián Villar Rojas in Rockaway Beach (2014) * Francesco Vezzoli: Teatro Romano (2014) * Zero Tolerance (2014) * Jeff Elrod: Nobody Sees Like Us (2013) * Cyprien Gaillard: The Crystal World (2013) *

– Retrospective 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (2012) * Max Brand: no solid footing – (trained) duck fighting a crow (2012) * Ferhat Özgür: I Can Sing (2012) *

Ryan Trecartin Ryan Trecartin (born 1981) is an American artist and filmmaker currently based in Athens, Ohio. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating with a BFA in 2004. Trecartin has since lived and worked in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Ph ...

: Any Ever, co-organized (2011) * Rania Stephan (2011) *

Jeremy Shaw Jeremy Shaw (born 1977) is a Canadian visual artist based in Berlin, Germany. Shaw's art deals with altered states and the cultural and scientific practices investigating transcendental experience, with recurring themes around belief-systems, drug ...

: Best Minds (2011) *

(2011) * Laurel Nakadate (2011) * Feng Mengbo (2010) * On-Site 3: Mickalene Thomas (2010) * Greater New York, co-organized (2010) * Mickalene Thomas: Le Déjeuner Sur L'herbe: Les Trois Femmes Noires (2010) * 100 Years (version #2, PS1, Nov. 2009) * Jonathan Horowitz: And/Or (2009) * Michael Joaquin Grey (2009) *

, co-organized with Susanne Pfeffer (2009) * Fassbinder: Berlin Alexanderplatz (2007) * Mark Lewis: Northumberland (2007) * Abbas Kiarostami: Image Maker (2007) * Into Me/Out of Me (2006) * Johannes Van Der Beek, part of group show "Special Projects" (2005) * Greater New York, co-organized (2005) * Hard Light, co-organized with

(2004) *

Hedi Slimane Hedi Slimane (; born July 5, 1968) is a French photographer and grand couturier. From 2000 to 2007, he held the position of creative director for Dior Homme (the menswear line of Christian Dior S.A., Christian Dior). From 2012 to 2016, he was the ...

: Berlin (2003) *

Taryn Simon Taryn Simon (born February 4, 1975) is an American multidisciplinary artist who works in photography, text, sculpture, and performance. Currently residing and maintaining a studio practice in New York City, Simon has had work featured in the Ve ...

: The Innocents (2003) * First Steps, emerging artists from Japan (2003) * Chris Cunningham (2002) * Mexico City: An Exhibition About the Exchange Rate of Bodies and Values (2002) * Single Channel Works from the Collections of Pamela and Richard Kramlich and New Art Trust, organized with Christopher Eamon and Barbara London (2002) * Loop – Alles auf Anfang (2001–2002) *

Henry Darger Henry Joseph Darger Jr. (; April 12, 1892 – April 13, 1973) was an American writer, novelist and artist who worked as a hospital custodian in Chicago, Illinois. He has become famous for his posthumously discovered 15,145-page fantasy novel ma ...

, Disasters of War (2001) * Kimsooja (2001) * Special Mission Project ko2: Takashi Murakami (2001) * Takashi Murakami: Transformer (2000) * Disasters of War (2000) * Greater New York, ko-organisiert (2000) * Children of Berlin (1999–2000) * The Promise of Photography, a selection of the photographic collection of the DZ Bank (1999) * Generation Z, co-organized (1999) * MoMA PS1 opening exhibition co-curated with

, Michael Tarantino and Kazue Kobata (1997)

Exhibitions organized and co-organized by Biesenbach at KW Institute for Contemporary Art

, Site Visit, co-organized (2014) *

, co-organized (2013) * Political/Minimal (2008) * Fassbinder: Berlin Alexanderplatz (2007) *

: The Innocents (2004) *

: Berlin (2003) * Mexico City: An Exhibition about the Exchange Rates of Bodies and Values (2002) *

- Alejandro González Iñárritu (2002) * Jane & Louise Wilson, installation of the British artist duo, co-organized (2002) * Heike Baranowsky, first solo survey of media-based works (2001) *

, Disasters of War (2001) *

Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts media (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between high and low arts as well as co ae ...

: Special Mission Project ko2 (2001) * Christoph Keller: Encyclopaedia Cinematographica, co-organized (2001) *

: I am in you, solo exhibition in collaboration with

Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg The Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg is an art museum in central Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, opened 1994. It presents modern and contemporary art and is financed by the ''Kunststiftung Volkswagen.'' It takes up aspects of the industrial city of Wolfsburg, whic ...

, co-organized (2001) *

, selection of photographs of the Iranian filmmaker (2001) *

Ulrike Ottinger Ulrike Ottinger (born 6 June 1942) is a German filmmaker and photographer. Early life From 1959 she was a visiting student at the Academy of Arts in Munich and worked as a painter. Her mother, Maria Weinberg, was a journalist and her father, Ul ...

, Abbas Kiarostami (2001) * Never Mind the Nineties, a lecture series including

Rirkrit Tiravanija Rirkrit Tiravanija ( th, ฤกษ์ฤทธิ์ ตีระวนิช, pronunciation: [] or Tea-rah-vah-nitJerry Saltz (May 7, 2007)Conspicuous Consumption''New York Magazine''.) is a Thai contemporary artist residing in New York City, Be ...

Gabriel Orozco Gabriel Orozco (born April 27, 1962) is a Mexican artist. He gained his reputation in the early 1990s with his exploration of drawing, photography, sculpture and installation. In 1998, Francesco Bonami called Orozco "one of the most influenti ...

, Christine Borland,

Jake and Dinos Chapman Iakovos "Jake" Chapman (born 1966) and Konstantinos "Dinos" Chapman (born 1962) are British visual artists, often known as the Chapman Brothers. Their subject matter tries to be deliberately shocking, including, in 2008, a series of works that ...

Angela Bulloch Angela Bulloch (born 1966 in Rainy River, Ontario, Canada), is an artist who often works with sound and installation; she is recognised as one of the Young British Artists. Bulloch lives and works in Berlin. Life and career Bulloch studied at Go ...

, and

Tobias Rehberger Tobias Rehberger (born June 2, 1966) is a German sculptor, born in Esslingen am Neckar. He studied under Thomas Bayrle and Martin Kippenberger at the Stadelschule in Frankfurt am Main, where he now teaches. Work Rehberger works in the wider ...

; Artclub, co-organized with Katharina Sieverding (2000) *

Jonathan Meese Jonathan Meese (born January 23, 1970 in Tokyo) is a German painter, sculptor, performance artist and installation artist based in Berlin and Hamburg. Meese's (often multi-media) works include paintings, collages, drawings and writing. He also d ...

, Performance and solo presentation (2000) *

Ghada Amer Ghada Amer ( ar, غادة عامر, May 22 1963 in Cairo, Egypt) is a contemporary artist, much of her work deals with issues of gender and sexuality. Her most notable body of work involves highly layered embroidered paintings of women's bodies r ...

, New Paintings (2000) *

Santiago Sierra Santiago Sierra (born 1966) is a Spanish artist, known for performance art and installation art. Much of his work deals with the topic of social inequities. He lives in Madrid. Career Sierra's most well-known works involve hiring laborers to co ...

, first German solo exhibition (2000) * Nic Hess: Dolly II (2000) * Jordan Crandall: Drive, Track 1 (2000) * Sencer Vardarman: Corridors (2000) * John Isaacs: A Necessary Change of Heart (2000) * Erik Steinbrecher: Couch Park (2000) *

Francisco de Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...

: Desastres de la Guerra (2000) * Dinos und Jake Chapman: What the hell I-X (2000) * Paul Pfeiffer, first European solo exhibition (2000) * Mick O'Shea, site specific installation (2000) * Lara Schnitger, first German solo exhibition (2000) * Piotr Uklanski: Die Nazis (2000) *

Matthew Barney Matthew Barney (born March 25, 1967) is an American contemporary artist and film director who works in the fields of sculpture, film, photography and drawing. His works explore connections among geography, biology, geology and mythology as well ...

: Cremaster 2 (2000) * Warten (1999) * Exhibitions for the Re-Opening of Kunst-Werke (1999) * Sommeraccrochage (1999) * Tony Oursler: Frozen (1999) * Joachim Koester: Untitled (La Nuit Americaine) (1999) * Eija Liisa Ahtila: ME/WE; OKAY; GRAY (1999) * Woodland: Susanne Gertud Kriemann, co-organized (1999) *

Dan Graham Daniel Graham (March 31, 1942 – February 19, 2022) was an American visual artist, writer, and curator in the writer-artist tradition. In addition to his visual works, he published a large array of critical and speculative writing that spanned ...

: Pavilions (1999) * Construction Drawings (1999) *

Elke Krystufek Elke Silvia Krystufek (born 1970) is an Austrian conceptual artist who lives and works in Berlin, Germany, and Vienna, Austria. She works in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, video and performance art. Life Krystufek studied ...

: I am your mirror (1999) * Café Bravo, a pavilion designed by

for the courtyard of the KW (1998) * Gunda Förster, site-specific illumination of Kunst-Werke (1996) * Preparation of the 1.

berlin biennial The Berlin Biennale (full name: Berlin Biennale für zeitgenössische Kunst, Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art) is a contemporary art exhibition, which has been held at various locations in Berlin, Germany, every two to three years since 1998. T ...

for contemporary art (1996) * Bodo Schlack, new paintings (1996) * Christine Borland: From life (1996) * Katrin Hoffert, first solo exhibition (1995) * Hannes Rickli: Kugel (1995) * Sonnenstunden – Das Bankprojekt, 3 Jahre Vera Bourgeois (1995) * Jürgen Albrecht, first solo exhibition, co-organized (1995) *

Vito Acconci Vito Acconci (, ; January 24, 1940 – April 27, 2017) was an influential American performance, video and installation artist, whose diverse practice eventually included sculpture, architectural design, and landscape design. His foundational p ...

: The Red Tapes (1995) *

Bruce Nauman Bruce Nauman (born December 6, 1941) is an American artist. His practice spans a broad range of media including sculpture, photography, neon, video, drawing, printmaking, and performance. Nauman lives near Galisteo, New Mexico. Life and work ...

: Changing Light Corridor with Rooms (1995) *

Jutta Koether Jutta Koether (born 1958) is a German artist, musician and critic based in New York City and Berlin

: DÉBORDEMENT (1995) *

Ulrike Grossarth Ulrike Grossarth (born 1952) is a German artist, dancer, and academic. Since 1998 she has been professor of mixed media art at Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. She was awarded the 2009 Käthe Kollwitz Prize by the Academy of Arts, Berlin for her coll ...

: Reste vom Mehrwert (1995) * Paul Armand Gette, site specific installation (1995) * Matthias Hoch: new photography (1995) * Christine Hill, first solo exhibition (1995) * Inez van Laamsweerde/Judy Fox, sculpture and photography curated with Katrin Becker (1995) * Spiral Jetty – Hotel Palenque, installations by

Robert Smithson Robert Smithson (January 2, 1938 – July 20, 1973) was an American artist known for sculpture and land art who often used drawing and photography in relation to the spatial arts. His work has been internationally exhibited in galleries and m ...

(1994) *

Joseph Kosuth Joseph Kosuth (; born January 31, 1945), an American conceptual artist, lives in New York and London,

: Berlin Chronicle, a Temporary Media Monument for

Walter Benjamin Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin (; ; 15 July 1892 – 26 September 1940) was a German Jewish philosopher, cultural critic and essayist. An eclectic thinker, combining elements of German idealism, Romanticism, Western Marxism, and Jewish mys ...

(1994) *

Tony Oursler Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

: Horror (1994) * Oniscus murarius: Constantino Ciervo, Ottmar Kiefer and Ampelio Zappalorto (1994) * Günter Unterburger, presentation of new sculptures (1994) *

Monica Bonvicini Monica Bonvicini (born 1965 in Venice) is an Italian artist. In her work, Bonvicini investigates the relationship between power structures, gender and space. She works intermediately with installation, sculpture, video, photography and drawing me ...

: Die Ecken des Lebens oder über eine perspektivische Architektur der Wahrheit (1994) * Kunst: Sprache, group exhibition, co-organized (1994) *

: White Trash (1993) *

: 24-h-Psycho (1993) *

Sabine Hornig Sabine Hornig (born 1964, West Germany) is a German visual artist and photographer who lives and works in Berlin. Her work in photography, sculpture, and site-specific installation art is known for her interpretations of modernist architecture an ...

: Ateliereinbau II, co-organized (1993) * Milovan Markovic: Privat (1993) * KW studios 92/93 with Fritz Balthaus, Alyssa de Lucia, Gero Gries, Ulrike Grossarth, Sabine Hornig, Günther Underburger (1993–1992) * Getrennte Welten – with

and Gundula Schulze-Eldowy (1992) * 37 Räume (1992) * Sans Frontieres: an Art in Ruins installation by Glyn Banks and Hannah Vowles with support of DAAD (1992) * Ankunft:

Valie Export Valie Export (often stylized as 'VALIE EXPORT'; born 17 May 1940) is an avant-garde Austrian artist. She is best known for provocative public performances and expanded cinema work. Her artistic work also includes video installations, computer an ...

Leiko Ikemura is a Japanese-Swiss painter and sculptor. Biography Leiko Ikemura studied at Osaka University from 1970–1972. She then left Japan to study in Spain from 1973 to 1978 at the Academia de Bellas Artes in Granada and Seville. In 1979, Ikemura ...

, Christina Kubisch, Christiane Möbus, Maria Vedder,

Joan Jonas Joan Jonas (born July 13, 1936) is an American visual artist and a pioneer of video and performance art, and one of the most important artists to emerge in the late 1960s and early 1970s.Hans Ulrich Obrist Hans Ulrich Obrist (born 1968) is a Swiss art curator, critic, and historian of art. He is artistic director at the Serpentine Galleries, London. Obrist is the author of ''The Interview Project'', an extensive ongoing project of interviews. He is ...

at Long Museum, Shanghai (2014) * 14 Rooms, with Hans Ulrich Obrist at Bayeler Fondation, Basel (2014) * 13 Rooms, with Hans Ulrich Obrist at Kaldor Public Art Projects, Sydney (2013) * 12 Rooms, with Hans Ulrich Obrist at Museum Folkwang, Essen (2012) * 11 Rooms, with Hans Ulrich Obrist at Manchester Art Gallery (2011) * Regarding Terror: The Red Army Faction-Exhibition, Berlin and Graz, co-organized (2005) *

, Moving Pictures, Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro, MALBA Buenos Aires (2004/2005) *

, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin (2004) * The Ten Commandments, a large-scale group show with 63 international artists, Deutsches Hygienemuseum Dresden (2004) * First Steps, emerging artists from Japan, Tokyo Convention Center, co-organized (2001) * Shanghai Biennale, co-organized (2002) * Loop - Alles auf Anfang, Kunsthalle of the Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Munich and Cincinnati (2001– 2002) *

, Disasters of War, Migros Museum, Zurich; Watari-Um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Magazin 3, Stockholm Konsthall (2001) * Site Construction with Monica Bonvicini, Thomas Demand, Manfred Pernice, Jonathan Meese, South London Gallery (1998) * 1.

berlin biennale The Berlin Biennale (full name: Berlin Biennale für zeitgenössische Kunst, Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art) is a contemporary art exhibition, which has been held at various locations in Berlin, Germany, every two to three years since 1998. T ...

for contemporary art, co-organized (1998) * Hybrid Workspace bei der

Documenta ''documenta'' is an exhibition of contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. The ''documenta'' was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Horticultura ...

X, Kassel, co-organized (1997) * Nach Weimar, Weimar, co-organized (1996) * PROJECTED IMAGES:

(1995) * Club Berlin,

(1995) * Deutschland wird Deutscher, a project throughout Berlin organized in collaboration with

Katharina Sieverding Katharina Sieverding (born 16 November 1944) is a German photographer known for her self-portraiture. Sieverding lives and works in Berlin and Düsseldorf. She is a professor emeritus at the University of the Arts, Berlin. Early life and educati ...

and UdK (1993) * Christo vor der Verhüllung, Marstall Berlin with Gabriele Muschter (1993) * Dialog im

Bode-Museum The Bode-Museum (English: ''Bode Museum''), formerly called the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum (''Emperor Frederick Museum''), is a listed building on the Museum Island in the Mitte (locality), historic centre of Berlin. It was built from 1898 to 1904 ...

mit

Isa Genzken Isa Genzken (born 27 November 1948) is a German artist who lives and works in Berlin. Her primary media are sculpture and installation, using a wide variety of materials, including concrete, plaster, wood and textile. She also works with photograp ...

Klaus vom Bruch Klaus vom Bruch (born 1952 in Cologne) is a German media artist who is considered a pioneer of German video art. Biography Vom Bruch studied conceptual art at the California Institute of the Arts with John Baldessari from 1975 to 1976, and philos ...

, Svetlana und Igor Kopystiansky, Strawalde, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Bode-Museum Berlin (1992) * Installation by Kumiko Shimizu, Elisabethkirche, Berlin, co-organized (1991)

Publications

Selected digital content for MOCA

25 Virtual Studio Visits

Season 1

* Marina Abramović (June 2020) * Hank Willis Thomas (June 2020) * Elizabeth Peyton (May 2020) * Olafur Eliasson (May 2020) * Camille Henrot (March 2020) * Arthur Jafa (May 2020) * Katharina Grosse (May 2020) * Marilyn Minter (May 2020) * Nancy Rubens (May 2020) * Anicka Yi (April 2020) * Mark Grotjahn (April 2020) * Catherine Opie (April 2020) * Mary Weatherford (April 2020) * Shirin Neshat (April 2020) * Korakrit Arunanondchai (April 2020)

Season 2

* Sarah Sze (March 2021) * Doris Salcedo (Feb. 2021) * Doug Aitken (Feb. 2021) * William Kentridge (Feb. 2021) * Simone Forti (Jan. 2021) * Mickalene Thomas (Dec. 2020) * Jeff Koons (unreleased) (Nov. 2020) * Tomás Saraceno (Oct. 2020) * Huma Bhabha (Oct. 2020) * Pipilotti Rist (Sep. 2020)

Selected publications

2021

* Klaus Biesenbach, co-editor, ''30 Years KW Berlin: A History'', Berlin: Kunst-Werke.

2019

* Klaus Biesenbach and Bettina Funcke, ''MoMA PS1: A History.'' New York: Museum of Modern Art. ISBN 978-1-63345-069-1

2015

* Klaus Biesenbach and Christophe Cherix, ''Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960-1971''. New York: Museum of Modern Art. ISBN 9780870709661 * Klaus Biesenbach et al., ''Björk: Mid-Career Retrospective With New Commissioned Pieces for MoMA''. New York: Museum of Modern Art. ISBN 9780870709609

2014

* Klaus Biesenbach et al., ''14 Rooms''. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz. ISBN 978-3-7757-3915-3

2013

* Klaus Biesenbach et al., ''Christoph Schlingensief''. London: Koenig Books. ISBN 3863354958

2010

* Klaus Biesenbach, Neville Wakefield and Cornelia Butler: Greater New York 2010. New York: MoMA PS1, 2010. * Klaus Biesenbach, Agustin Perez Rubio,

Beatrix Ruf Beatrix Ruf (born 1960, Singen, Germany) is a German art curator and art advisor who held the position of director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam between November 2014 and October 2017. Formerly she was director of the Kunsthalle Zurich. She i ...

and Ugo Rondinone: The Night of Lead: Ugo Rondinone. Edited by Beatrix Ruf, Osterlilden:

Hatje Cantz Hatje Cantz Verlag (English: Hatje Cantz Publishing) is a German book publisher specialising in photography, art, architecture and design. It was established in 1945 by Gerd Hatje * Klaus Biesenbach, "In Puerto Rico, Artists Rebuild and Reach Out," ''The New York Times,'' January 25, 2018

2016

* "Klaus Biesenbach Recalls the Founding of KW in Berlin 25 Years Ago, a Moment of 'Radical Change and Freedom'," ARTNews, Nov. 25, 2016 Klaus Biesenbach has also contributed texts to exhibition catalogs as well as edited volumes, and he has published articles in art journals, including '' Art & Australia, Artforum International'', and '' Flash Art International''. He wrote the monthly column "Erdkunde" for the German art magazine ''Monopol''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biesenbach, Klaus Living people American art curators German art historians German expatriates in the United States People associated with the Museum of Modern Art (New York City) People from Bergisch Gladbach German male non-fiction writers German curators Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1966 births