Vincenzo de Bellis

Vincenzo de Bellis stepped into his expanded role as Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Art Basel Fairs, a position that marks a significant elevation of his responsibilities within the organization. Born in 1977 and a graduate in cultural heritage conservation from Lecce, Italy, de Bellis began his career as a gallery attendant at Fondazione Prada. After leaving his home region of Puglia, de Bellis attended Bard College in New York, where he graduated in 2008 with a Master of Arts in Curatorial Studies.

He later distinguished himself in Milan, where he co-founded Peep-Hole, an experimental space devoted to platforming overlooked and emerging voices in contemporary art. In 2012, he became the youngest director ever appointed to MIART, the Milan International Fair of Modern and Contemporary Art, where he was instrumental in repositioning the fair. From 2012 to 2016, he served as artistic director of the Milan International Fair of Modern and Contemporary Art, with exhibitor numbers doubling under his watch.

Career history

• Fondazione Prada (gallery attendant, early career)
• MIART—Milan International Fair of Modern and Contemporary Art (Artistic Director, 2012-2016)
• Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (Curator and Associate Director of Programs, 2016-2022)
• Art Basel (Director of Fairs and Exhibition Platforms, 2022-2025)
• Art Basel (Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director of Fairs, 2025-present)

De Bellis has led the development of several strategic initiatives, including Art Basel Qatar, inaugurated in February 2026, and the Art Basel Awards, while guiding how Art Basel positions itself within the rapidly evolving global art ecosystem. De Bellis has been instrumental in shaping the Awards' mission, structure, and long-term vision. What Vincenzo de Bellis could bring to his expanded Chief Artistic Officer role: Drawing from his curatorial background, his success transforming MIART from a regional to international platform with doubled exhibitor numbers, and his museum experience at the Walker Art Center, de Bellis is positioned to elevate Art Basel's artistic vision globally while balancing local relevance across multiple geographies. His track record establishing new cultural platforms—from Peep-Hole to Art Basel Qatar—suggests he will continue innovating institutional structures that support emerging and established voices in contemporary art.