ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS.- Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, proudly announces the appointment of Nicolaus Schafhausen as curator of the German pavilion for the Venice Biennale in 2007. His appointment by minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was made public last week by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Since the start of 2006, Nicolaus Schafhausen has been the director of Witte de With, Rotterdam. In April this year, Witte de With launched its new program under Schafhausen’s directorship with the solo exhibition Mathias Poledna (open until 11 June) and the international group exhibition Don Quijote (open until 6 August). In late June, the new theory program will begin with Unraveling Rotterdam, a series of informal discussions between Witte de With staff members and leading figures of the Rotterdam art world. June will also see the opening of the solo exhibition of Tue Greenfort’s work (also open until 6 August), presenting this young Danish artist’s interest in the crossovers between art and ecology.

Nicolaus Schafhausen has extensive experience as a curator, lecturer and advisor in the field of contemporary art. He has been at the head of various institutions in Germany, including the Frankfurter Kunstverein from 1999 to 2005. He is internationally renowned as the initiator of many projects and publications. Recently he curated Kapittel VII: Bühne des Lebens - Rethorik des Gefühl at the Lenbachhaus in Munich.