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Italian art expert Francesco Manacorda has been appointed as the new artistic director of Tate Liverpool.

The 37-year-old will leave his current role as director of Artissima, Turin's international art fair, to join the gallery in April 2012.

He has previously been curator at London's Barbican Art Gallery and is a visiting lecturer at the city's Royal College of Art.

Mr Manacorda said he was "delighted" to be joining Tate Liverpool.

The Italian will replace Christoph Grunenberg, who is to leaving the gallery after 10 years to join the Kunsthalle Bremen gallery in Germany.

He said he was looking forward to "working with the excellent team in dialogue with other art institutions in the region".

Artistic vision

"Tate Liverpool has an amazing history combining cutting-edge programming with great art historical scholarship," he said.

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the mission of such a leading international museum."

Mr Manacorda has been working with Artissima since 2010. As well as his work in London, he previously curated pavilions at the Venice Biennale art show.

Tate Liverpool, which attracts around 600,000 visitors a year, opened in 1988 in a former warehouse on the city's waterfront.

The gallery's executive director Andrea Nixon said she was delighted to welcome Francesco to the team.

"We are very much looking forward to his artistic vision and experience contributing to shaping Tate Liverpool's future programme," she said.