Klaus Biesenbach (born 1966)Erica Orden (26 December 2009), Herr Zeitgeist New York Magazine. is a German-American curator and museum director. He is the Director of the Neue Nationalgalerie, with Berggruen Museum and Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection, as well as the berlin modern under construction.
Previously, Biesenbach had been serving as the director of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), from 2018 to 2021. He is also a former Chief Curator at Large at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City and former director of MoMA PS1. He is also the founding director of Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art (KW) in Berlin, and the Berlin Biennale.
Early life and education Biesenbach was born in July 1966 in Bergisch Gladbach, West Germany and grew up in a rural setting in Kürten. After graduating from high school, he completed a year of alternative civilian service and volunteered at a kibbuz in Israel.
From 1987, Biesenbach began studying medicine in Munich, on a scholarship provided by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. In the summer of 1989, he visited New York for the first time with the idea that he might transfer schools but instead completed an internship at Paper.Erica Orden (26 December 2009), Herr Zeitgeist New York. He moved to Berlin in 1989.Dorit Marschall (9 April 2008), Klaus Biesenbach: Beschleunigtes Leben Handelsblatt.
Career Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art Biesenbach founded Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art (KW) in Berlin in 1991, as well as the Berlin Biennale 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 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 (31 July 2018), MOCA Chooses MoMA PS1 Director to Lead Museum New York Times. After P.S.1 merged with MoMA in 2000, Biesenbach became a liaison between the two.
In 2004, Biesenbach was appointed as a curator in the MoMA'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.Nicholas Boston, "MoMA Gets Biesenbached In Euro-Curator Stampede," The New York Observer, 11 February 2007.
In 2012, Biesenbach turned MoMA P.S. 1 into a temporary day shelter for displaced residents after Hurricane Sandy. He drafted an open letter to the then New York City Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg and fellow New Yorkers that called for help in the Rockaways, where he had purchased a house in early 2012,David Colman (2 May 2014), Shelter From the Storm T: The New York Times Style Magazine. signed by celebrities including Lady Gaga, Madonna, James Franco, Gwyneth Paltrow and Patti Smith.Julia Chaplin (14 November 2012), Curating a Relief Effort on the Beach New York Times.
In addition to his role at MoMA, Biesenbach served as member of the International Jury at the Venice Biennale (1997) and as co-curator of the Berlin Biennale (1998) and Shanghai Biennale (2002).
MOCA In 2018, Biesenbach was appointed director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
During his time as director, Biesenbach introduced free admission to the museum with a $10 million gift from Carolyn Clark Powers,Robin Pogrebin (2 May 2021), Amid Signs of Trouble, Can MOCA Find Its Footing? New York Times. 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, Biesenbach diversified the collection and exhibition program by supporting exhibitions with artists like Xu Zhen, Jennifer Packer, Pipilotti Rist, Henry Taylor, Tala Madani, Judy Baca, Annika Yi, Garrett Bradley, Cao Fei, and Simone Forti.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Biesenbach 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, Catherine Opie, Pipilotti Rist, Mark Grotjahn, Barbara Kruger, Hank Willis Thomas, Virgil Abloh, Alex Israel and sold them internationally in collaboration with the Warhol Foundation, the Qatar Museums and the K11 Hongkong.
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.Adam Nagourney (3 September 2021), The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles Names a Co-Leader New York Times.
Neue Nationalgalerie In September 2021, Biesenbach was appointed as new director of both the Neue Nationalgalerie with Berggruen Museum and Scharf-Gerstenberg Collection and the future Museum of the 20th Century.Klaus Biesenbach is appointed as Director of Neue Nationalgalerie and the Museum of the 20th Century Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, press release of 10 September 2021.Adam Nagourney and Robin Pogrebin (10 September 2021), Klaus Biesenbach Leaving Los Angeles Museum for Post in Berlin New York Times.Alex Greenberger (10 September 2021), MOCA Los Angeles's Klaus Biesenbach Named Director of Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie ARTnews.
Climate activism and anti-materialism Biesenbach is a prominent figure in climate activism within the art world, particularly through his work at major institutions like MOCA in Los Angeles and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. Biesenbach co-initiated the Environmental Council at MOCA, marking it as the first sustainability-focused group within a U.S. art museum. His activism is rooted in integrating ecological and social issues into the fabric of museum programming, as seen in projects like the ecological festival EXPO 1 and post-Hurricane Sandy art initiatives. His approach underscores the vital role museums play in addressing pressing global challenges, including the climate crisis, by fostering spaces for public engagement and protest.
Other activities American Academy in Berlin, Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees American Academy in Berlin. Berlin Biennale, Member of the Advisory BoardTeam: Advisory Board Berlin Biennale. KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Member of the BoardBoard KW Institute for Contemporary Art.
Recognition Biesenbach is the recipient of the following awards and honorary degrees: 2016 – Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 2018 – City of New York Proclamation of Honor for service to New York City 2021 – Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, awarded by the New York Academy of Art
In addition, Biesenbach received the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) award for the exhibitions Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present, Pipilotti Rist: Pour Your Body Out (7354 Cubic Meters), and Fassbinder: Berlin Alexanderplatz. He also received AICA awards for co-curating the exhibitions Kenneth Anger, 100 Years (version #2, ps1, Nov 2009), and Roth Time: A Dieter Roth Retrospective and 100 Years (version #2 PS1, Nov 2009) at MoMA PS1 and MoMA QNS, as well as Kenneth Anger (2009) at MoMA PS1 and 100 Years (version #2 PS1, Nov 2009) at MoMA PS1 and MoMA QNS, as well as Kenneth Anger (2009) at MoMA PS1.
Personal life Biesenbach lives in Berlin. He also owns land in Uckermark and Puerto Rico. He has in the past lived with his friend, the artist Andrea Zittel, with whom he shared an apartment at KW in the 1990s and stayed in Joshua Tree in 2020.Jori Finkel (22 April 2021), Inside Klaus Biesenbach's Unique Los Angeles Home W
Exhibitions Exhibitions organized and co-organized by Biesenbach at KW Institute for Contemporary Art Peter Moors, Andreas Rost, new works (1991) Ankunft: Valie Export, Leiko Ikemura, Christina Kubisch, Christiane Möbus, Maria Vedder, Joan Jonas and Aura Rosenberg (1992) Sans Frontieres: an Art in Ruins installation by Glyn Banks and Hannah Vowles with support of DAAD (1992)Art In Ruins , auf archiv.steirischerherbst.at 37 Räume (1992)KW Institute for Contemporary Art, auf berlin.de Getrennte Welten – with Nan Goldin and Gundula Schulze-Eldowy (1992) KW studios 92/93 with Fritz Balthaus, Alyssa de Lucia, Gero Gries, Ulrike Grossarth, Sabine Hornig, Günther Underburger (1993–1992) Milovan Markovic: Privat (1993) Sabine Hornig: Ateliereinbau II, co-organized (1993) Douglas Gordon: 24-h-Psycho (1993) Tony Oursler: White Trash (1993) Kunst: Sprache, group exhibition, co-organized (1994) Monica Bonvicini: Die Ecken des Lebens oder über eine perspektivische Architektur der Wahrheit (1994) Günter Unterburger, presentation of new sculptures (1994) Oniscus murarius: Constantino Ciervo, Ottmar Kiefer and Ampelio Zappalorto (1994) Tony Oursler: Horror (1994) Joseph Kosuth: Berlin Chronicle, a Temporary Media Monument for Walter Benjamin (1994)Joseph Kosuth Berliner Chronik, 1994, auf kw-berlin.de Spiral Jetty – Hotel Palenque, installations by Robert Smithson (1994) Inez van Laamsweerde/Judy Fox, sculpture and photography curated with Katrin Becker (1995) Christine Hill, first solo exhibition (1995) Matthias Hoch: new photography (1995) Paul Armand Gette, site specific installation (1995) Ulrike Grossarth: Reste vom Mehrwert (1995) Jutta Koether: DÉBORDEMENT (1995) Bruce Nauman: Changing Light Corridor with Rooms (1995) Vito Acconci: The Red Tapes (1995) Jürgen Albrecht, first solo exhibition, co-organized (1995) Sonnenstunden – Das Bankprojekt, 3 Jahre Vera Bourgeois (1995) Hannes Rickli: Kugel (1995) Katrin Hoffert, first solo exhibition (1995) Christine Borland: From life (1996) Bodo Schlack, new paintings (1996) Preparation of the 1. berlin biennial for contemporary art (1996) Gunda Förster, site-specific illumination of Kunst-Werke (1996)Gunda Förster, auf gunda-foerster.de Café Bravo, a pavilion designed by Dan Graham for the courtyard of the KW (1998)Dan Graham Glass Pavillion realized by Johanne Nalbach 1999, auf www.cafe-bravo.de Elke Krystufek: I am your mirror (1999) Construction Drawings (1999) Dan Graham: Pavilions (1999) Woodland: Susanne Gertud Kriemann, co-organized (1999) Eija Liisa Ahtila: ME/WE; OKAY; GRAY (1999) Joachim Koester: Untitled (La Nuit Americaine) (1999) Tony Oursler: Frozen (1999) Sommeraccrochage (1999) Exhibitions for the Re-Opening of Kunst-Werke (1999) Warten (1999) Matthew Barney: Cremaster 2 (2000) Piotr Uklanski: Die Nazis (2000) Lara Schnitger, first German solo exhibition (2000) Mick O'Shea, site specific installation (2000)Mick O`Shea Your Industry, My World/My Industry, Your World, auf kw-berlin.de Paul Pfeiffer, first European solo exhibition (2000) Dinos und Jake Chapman: What the hell I-X (2000) Francisco de Goya: Desastres de la Guerra (2000) Erik Steinbrecher: Couch Park (2000)Erik Steinbrecher Couch-Park, auf kw-berlin.de