Apinan Poshyananda, chief executive and artistic director of the Bangkok Art Biennale and advisor of Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, has been conferred the honor of the Ufficiale dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy) by the President of the Italian Republic.

First established in 1947 and renamed in 2011 as the Order of the Star of Italy, the accolade recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to promote Italian culture and international exchange between Italy and other countries.

Paolo Dionisi, ambassador of Italy to Thailand, presented the insignia to Poshyananda at the Italian Embassy in Bangkok, praising his three-decade contribution to strengthening cultural and artistic ties between both countries.

A prominent art historian, critic, and curator, Poshyananda has long served as a cultural bridge between Europe and Southeast Asia through his curatorial work, scholarship, and public service. His early publications, Modern Art in Thailand (Oxford University Press, 1992) and Western-style Painting and Sculpture in the Royal Thai Court (Amarin, 1993), highlight the achievements of Italian artists and architects in Thailand.

From 2003–10, Poshyananda served as director-general of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture in Bangkok. He was also director-general of Thailand’s Cultural Promotion Department, as well as the permanent secretary and acting minister of the Ministry of Culture (2003–17). During this period, he organized the country’s first national pavilion at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003, and curated the contemporary art section of the Thai Festival at Parco della Musica in Rome in 2005.

As artistic director of the Bangkok Art Biennale, Poshyananda has continually supported Italian artists. Most recently, he curated “The Spirits of Maritime Crossing,” a collateral event of the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.

Poshyananda’s Order of the Star of Italy joins a long list of national and international honors, including the Knight of the Royal Order of the Polar Star, Sweden (2003); the Chevalier Order of Italian Solidarity (2009); the Officer of the French Arts and Literature (2011); and Thailand’s Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (2011).

Joyce Jingyi Ge is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.