Berlin - A US author who is based in Italy, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, was appointed Wednesday to one of Germany's top arts jobs, as curator of the Documenta art fest held every five years.

In Kassel, Germany, the Documenta board picked her from a short list of art critics and exhibition managers to run the 100-day Documenta beginning in June 2012.

Christov-Bakargiev, 50, hails from New Jersey and did her academic studies in Italy.

She was one of the panel of judges for the 2001 Biennale in Venice. The Biennale is the world's definitive contemporary-art show and was an inspiration for Documenta.

She has also had exhibition commissions in Turin and Rome.

She curated this year's Biennale in Sydney, showing work by 80 artists from the past 100 years between June and September.

Documenta, always held in the provincial German city of Kassel, exhibits paintings, sculpture and conceptual art, with the curator having a massive budget and general freedom to choose to show whatever he or she likes.

The last Documenta, which ended on September 23, 2007, attracted 850,000 paying visitors and was curated by a German, Roger Martin Buergel, who has since been appointed head of the Miami Art Museum in Florida. (dpa)