Born in 1964 in Montluçon, Jean-Yves Jouannais is a writer and art critic. He was editor-in-chief of Art Press magazine from 1991 to 1999 and taught contemporary art at the Université de Paris VIII (Saint Denis) from 1996 to 2003.

Jean-Yves Jouannais has organized numerous exhibitions, including: “The History of Infamy”, Biennale of Venice in 1995; “The Fool Split in Two” (Stupidity in 20th century Art), Moscow, Nizhni-Novgorod, Samara, Karsnoyarsk and Château d’Oiron in 2000; “Stupidity, Pommery Experiment #2”, Pommery Wine Estate, Reims in 2005.

He is the author of essays, including Stupidity: Art, Life, Politics – Method, Editions Beaux-Arts Magazine, 2004; won the art book first prize at the Le Livre et l’Art festival in 2004; and published Armand Silvestre, A Modest Poet, Editions Le Promeneur, Gallimard, 1999; Artists Without Works. I Would Prefer Not To, Editions Hazan, 1997; Of Dwarves and Gardens. Essay on Residential Kitsch, Editions Hazan, 1993. For the television channel Arte, he was editor-in-chief for two programmes devoted to contemporary art: La Revue, 2002- 2004, and Exhibition, 2004-2006.