WASHINGTON, DC.-The selection of the U.S. representative to the 2009 Venice Biennale has just been announced. Following the unanimous recommendation of the Federal Advisory Committee on International Exhibitions (FACIE), the Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has selected an exhibition of the work of Bruce Nauman (b. 1941, Fort Wayne, Indiana) to be presented in the U.S. Pavilion at this noted bi-annual exhibition, held in Venice, Italy since 1895. Carlos Basualdo and Michael Taylor, curators at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, will serve as Commissioners and organize the exhibition and related publications and activities that will take place in June 2009.

In the course of a career that has spanned more than four decades Bruce Nauman has distinguished himself as a major figure in American and world art. His practice - characterized by a multi-media, strongly conceptual approach - extends from early printmaking and performance, to work in sculpture, film and video, audio and installation projects. Much of his work draws its materials and inspiration from everyday life and activities. Mr. Nauman has been the recipient of numerous awards and his work has been the subject of many exhibitions in the United States and around the world.

Every year, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State conducts open competitions that invite curators of American Art at U.S. museums and cultural centers to nominate artists and organize exhibitions of their work at selected international exhibitions. Proposals received in response to competitions are reviewed by the Federal Advisory Committee on International Exhibitions, a committee convened by the National Endowment for the Arts, at the request of the State Department. Through its support and management of these projects, ECA ensures that the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in the United States are presented to international audiences.