Cecilia Alemani

It’s one thing to have the exhibitions you organize be scrutinized by the art world. It’s quite another to open yourself up to criticism from everyday New Yorkers (not to mention millions of tourists). But as curator of High Line Art, the only dedicated contemporary art program at a New York City park, the Milan-born Cecilia Alemani has done just that. Hosting a sculpture series situated on the elevated railway turned walkway, she’s proved that public art can be both cutting-edge and accessible. In 2024, she unveiled Iván Argote’s Dinosaur, a towering sculpture of a pigeon that became so popular that over 7,000 people signed a petition started last December protesting its replacement. The work was widely adored, Alemani says, because “many people recognized themselves” in the scrappy bird. In April, she welcomed the program’s next commission, Tuan Andrew Nguyen’s 27 ft. Bamiyan-inspired Buddha, whose hands are made from melted artillery shells from Afghanistan. Outside New York, Alemani has become a go-to biennial curator, organizing the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022 and the 12th Site Santa Fe International last year. In New Mexico, she expanded the exhibition to an unprecedented 14...