Harald Szeemann

Harald Szeemann (b. 11.06.1933 in Bern, d. 18.02.2005 in Tegna, Ticino) first worked as an actor, stage designer and painter.

In 1957 Harald Szeemann began to organise and assemble exhibitions. As exhibition organiser and inventor of the modern »great exhibition« Szeemann soon made an international name for himself. He displayed works of art according to his own concept and presented them in new contexts. When in 1961 he took over the management of the Kunsthalle in Bern, he was at 28 the youngest curator in the world. Szeemann acquired a world-wide reputation in 1972 when he organised the legendary documenta 5 in Kassel.