Feb. 5—Site Santa Fe has announced that Cecilia Alemani will curate the 12th Site Santa Fe International, formerly known as the Site Santa Fe Biennial, planned to open in the summer of 2025 and run through early 2026.

As the first community-wide biennial of contemporary art in the United States, the International has provided a platform for artists from around the world to respond to the unique geography, history and cultures of New Mexico for decades. Returning for the first time since 2018, the 12th International will also be the first International mounted by Site Santa Fe since Louis Grachos returned to the helm of the institution in 2021, which he previously led from 1996 to 2003.

“Site Santa Fe’s first International since 2018 presents an opportunity for us to reinforce our institution’s ties to the global contemporary art world while reinvigorating the local art scene and creating even deeper roots and relevance within our communities in New Mexico,” said Grachos, Phillips Executive Director of Site Santa Fe. “As a champion of the voice of the artist, Cecilia Alemani’s curatorial approach fits seamlessly with our artist-centric vision for Site Santa Fe, and we look forward to the new works, ideas and dialogues that will emerge from her curatorial vision.”

Throughout her 20-year career, Alemani, the Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director & Chief Curator of High Line Art, has developed an expertise in commissioning and producing ambitious artworks for the public space and unusual sites beyond the gallery walls. The International appointment follows her celebrated work as artistic director of the 59th Venice Biennale, where she curated the exhibition “The Milk of Dreams” to much acclaim.

“For decades, the Site Santa Fe International has systematically shifted paradigms and conversations around globalization and the lure of the local, to quote celebrated New Mexico author, Lucy R. Lippard,” said Aemani. “Santa Fe has long impacted artists and writers, serving as a sanctuary, a refuge and a source for creativity. The region’s rich cultural tapestry is woven through generations and across multiple languages and worldviews, making the International unique among exhibitions of its kind.”

The appointment of Alemani continues the special historical ties of the International to the Venice Biennale. Alemani will be the fourth curator to organize both the International and Venice Biennale exhibitions. The 12th International in 2025 will follow Site Santa Fe’s role as co-presenter, along with the Portland Art Museum, of the U.S. Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024, with a presentation of Jeffrey Gibson, with Grachos serving as one of three commissioners.

During Grachos’ previous tenure at Site Santa Fe, he also oversaw the 1997 groundbreaking presentation of Robert Colescott as the first Black artist to represent the United States in a single-artist exhibition at Site Santa Fe.