Benjamin Genocchio has been appointed executive director of The Armory Show, the New York art fair.
Having spent two decades in the art industry as an editor and critic, Genocchio is the founding editor in chief of artnet News, which he launched in March 2014 as the world’s only 24-hour art news site.
Genocchio started his career as an art critic for the Australian. He moved to New York in 2001 and began reporting on arts from China, Egypt, and Iran for the New York Times. In 2010, he joined Louise Blouin Media as editorial director and editor in chief of Art & Auction and Artinfo.com.
He earned a PhD in art history from the University of Sydney, Australia and has written and edited several books including Dollar Dreaming: The Rise of the Aboriginal Art Market, which exposed the $500 million trade in Aboriginal artifacts.
“It has been an amazing privilege to work at artnet and build artnet News into the world’s most popular art news platform serving 1.6 million visitors a month,” said Genocchio. “I am sad to be leaving but secure in the knowledge that the site will thrive and grow under the leadership of Rozalia Jovanovic, currently our executive editor. She is a widely respected and judicious editor and a talented writer. I look forward to watching what she will do.”
This past July, Noah Horowitz, the former executive director of the Armory Show departed to join Art Basel as director of the Americas, kicking off a search for a new head for the international fair, which will bring 200 galleries from 36 countries to New York in early March. This past year, the fair saw 65,000 visitors.
In his new role at The Armory Show, Genocchio will bring his years of experience in the art world and his international outlook to guide the fair’s development and strategic vision as well as expand the fair’s reach to dealers, museum directors, and collectors around the world.
“Benjamin is a proven leader who has already made a prolific contribution to the art community both in New York and abroad,” said Myron Maurer, chief operating officer of the fair’s owner, Merchandise Mart, in a statement. “His strong relationships with artists, collectors, curators and galleries will prove a dynamic and invaluable asset; and now he will turn his focus to The Armory Show, leading this strong institution to even greater success.”
“Genocchio is known for being a fearless and generous leader as well as for his penchant for creating thought-provoking, accessible, and essential reading for industry insiders and anyone interested in the arts,” said Jovanovic, the new editor in chief of artnet News. “He is admired for his insight, his humor, his determination, and his uncanny ability to identify what matters to readers. He will bring all of this dynamism, intuition, and likability to his new role. It’s been a privilege and honor to work with him at artinfo.com and artnet News.”
Genocchio has set his sights high for The Armory Show. “New York has the world’s best museums, best collectors and many of the best artists living here,” he said. “It deserves the world’s best art fair. I am excited to make this happen for the Armory exhibitors and visitors and New York.”
Genocchio will begin his new post in January 2016.