Think that nothing that The Biennial Project will do to get attention will shock you? 

The Biennial Project Running of the Butts at the 2011 Venice Biennale

    Think again.

The Biennial Project V.I.P. Opening Reception for the 54th Venice Biennale and Awards Presentation for the 2011 Boston Online Biennial is a smashing success!!

It all began, innocently and calmly enough, on a peaceful Sunday evening in the lovely hidden garden of a beautiful pallazo….

But the quiet would not last for long…….

And before you knew it, the fabulous V.I.P. glitterati-filled gala was in full swing!!!!

Old Friends were re-aquainted….

                                                                                                                                                                               New Alliances were formed….

And, yes, even recipes were exchanged!!

Perhaps the highlight of the evening was when The Biennial Project announced

with much fanfare--to the anticipatory masses that were gathered…

The Winners of the 2011 Inaugural Boson Online Biennial

—including the First Place Winner, Hans van Meeuwen!!!

In fact…..we would say that all in all it was a Good Timin’, Wine Guzzling (44 liters to be exact!), Hob-Nobbing, Uber-Networking, Seen-And-Be-Seen-Old-Fashioned-Throw-Down-Of-Party-Until-The-Clothes-Came-Off (more on that in our NEXT blog post!!!) Extravagana---the likes of which has not been seen since the days of yore when the founding mothers and fathers of Venice first dug out the canals and threw up the grandest palazzos!   There were Tate-showin’ artists and critics, collectors, and curators galore all engrossed in scintillating debates over the hottest theoretical art issues of the day!                                 

Hell…we didn’t know the half of what was going on by the end of the evening….

BUTT…..

we do know of one very special little hi-jinx….

and you’ll have to tune in next time to find out!!!

As our many fans know, The Biennial Project wants ever so much to figure out how to get our work shown in one of those Super-Prestigious-Career-Making-Upper-Level Biennial Exhibits.

So we decided to go directly to the source and ask Successful Artists how they had managed it.

We sent thoughtful individual emails to all the artists who had shown in the 2008/2010 Whitney Biennial or the 2009 Venice Biennale asking for their advice.

The thoughtful individual emails went like this:

Dear ____________, We loved your work at the ___________ Biennial. We are an artists collaborative with the goal of being included in the next ____________ Biennial. Our group is interested in your unique insights regarding the selection process. How do we get in?
Respectfully,

The Biennial Project

Knowing that Successful Artists are known for being selfless folks who are always interested in helping out other artists, we expected a high level of response. But the results exceeded even our expectations!

The better to share the useful information we have gleaned from our new Famous Friends, we have reproduced some of the most useful tidbits here.

Now, although The Biennial Project is known for having a good sense of humor and a well-developed creative side, all these email conversations are represented 100% as written, by each artist who we credit here.

NOT EVEN WE COULD MAKE THIS SHIT UP!

First off, Our Friend John Baldessari (Venice Biennale, 2009):

Next, Our Friend Terrence Koh (Whitney Biennial, 2008):

And our Special Friend Tony Conrad (Venice Biennale 2009):

And Our Friend Falke Pisano (Venice Biennale 2009):

And of course Our Friend Ermek Jaenish (Venice Biennale, 2009):

And who could forget Our Friend Nina Berman (Whitney Biennial 2010):

And Our Best Friend Kate Gilmore (Whitney Biennial 2010):

And Lastly, Our Friend Oksana Shatalova (Venice Biennale 2009):

There, now wasn’t that helpful? Click here for lots more:

ADVICE FROM OUR FAMOUS FRIENDS!

Here is a great shot of Laura Rollins from The Biennial Project participating in a sublime guerilla performance art piece on the famed Academia Bridge in Venice during the recent opening week of the Venice Biennale 2011.

The other artist in the piece made replicas of Louis Vuitton purses as a statement on the vapid materialism and low self esteem of The International Tourist – those who spend way too much money on a simple bag decorated with this universally recognized status symbol of great disposable wealth.

You see if you look rich by flaunting your materialism, then you look better then the poor and therefore are treated with better respect. The symbol is meant to say to everyone who is not carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag that it’s owner is better then you, the non-owner, because the owner has more accumulated wealth then the non-owner, you.

The irony of this slyly subversive performance piece is that this bag IS a replica – a ‘knock-off’ - with the joke being that Laura (playing the role of The International Tourist to perfection) bought it for 15 Euros.

Laura is able to continue this artistic collaboration by gauging the reaction of the unknowing public. The pedestrians of the globe will look at this ‘art piece’ and make judgments on Laura, which are incorrect since they do not know that this is not an actual expensive Luis Vuitton bag.

The artistic statement is carried even further by the fact that the Western population knows that it is easy to get a knockoff Louis Vuitton Bag, sullying the shine of the actual real purse owning rich people – those who want to set themselves apart from the have-nots by this materialistic status symbol.

People will assume these people with ‘real’ extravagant means are simply putting on a show and will be questioned as being middle or lower class. The real middle and lower class people carrying the knock offs will go about their day thinking that others think they are more special, hence wealthy. In fact they are revealing their true position in the class structure, because we all know that people can and do buy fake Louis Vuitton pocketbooks.

You see the point that Laura and this ingenious Authentic Venetian Artist are trying to get across is that a knockoff Louis Vuitton purse is really the great equalizer in our modern capitalist society. The middle and lower class, by striving to appear ‘better then’, have brought the people who ‘are better then’ because of greater wealth, down to an equal surface level.

In doing this we can no longer judge people hiding behind their self created exterior status oriented presentation - and we are now able to look deep into their  souls full of insecurities and self doubt (which we all share, no matter what side of the tracks we were brought up on or ascended to).

This is not unlike Mao’s China where the citizens all wore identical uniforms. It made them all appear equal and they were better able to concentrate on more important aspects of life instead of the superficial.  The other parallel between the capitalist symbol of a Louis Vuitton handbag and the Communist China Uniform is that both are compromised designs.

In reality there is no individuality or creativity in either the uniform or the handbag. They are both simple and boring designs that are made to be demographically pleasing to a wide audience. All discerning aspects of design have been marginalized as to not offend or set anything or anyone apart. They both are made so the owner can fit into society by not standing out by their creative souls - but stand only thru the society in which they belong.

Another irony that Laura and this great, yet-to-be famous Authentic Venetian Artist are demonstrating by presenting this particular collaboration is that they are doing at The Venice Biennale during it’s opening week. This is a week where the most creative members of societies around the world are chosen to represent and converge together to for a week of individual expression.

The idea of a Louis Vuitton bag is the most uncreative artistic expression of self one can make. Here Laura and the splendid Authentic Venetian Artist have taken this  uncreative symbol of mass dulling of artistic or individual expression and made it a symbol that can take on new life as a tool to fool the population who don’t “get the joke”- i.e. The International Tourist and other boring people.

All of which proves once again that art provides a rich arena in which to examine the underlying dynamics of our society by re-contextualizing everyday events so as to reveal the truth lurking below, and that the members of The Biennial Project are the right people for the job.

Ciao baby!

Among the many benefits of attending Opening Week of The Venice Biennale are invites to fabulous parties, a chance to behold Venice in full flower, free drinks (so very many), lots of gratuitous swag in the form of printed canvas bags, art books and t-shirts…and, well, more parties. As we see it, these perks alone would have made the trip worthwhile. But even more then the material booty that we so love, The Venice Biennial gives us a chance to catch up with old friends, and make new allies with the other world famous artists in attendance. Through these encounters, new ideas are grappled with, collaborations are formed, and sometimes we ‘the creatives’ even get laid. Oh, and there is also some art to look at.

The Biennial Project is so excited by some of our newer associates that we wanted to share with our fans a few snapshots of our new playmates.

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  Anna is pictured here with Navin Rawanchaikul , who originally represented Thailand at VB 2011. Navin has now started  his own nation populated by other citizens named Navin. The Navinland Pavilion is a multifaceted situational environment that challenges perceptions of identity and nationhood. We just loved it, and are planning to request official recognition as a national entity from Navindland  as soon as possible. Also, Navin rocks a plaid blazer better than anyone we know!

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  Here Eric poses with the representative from his ancestral country of Latvia. The Artist is Kristaps Gelzis - who Eric fantasized to be perfect husband material. Much to Eric’s disappointment he found out that Kristaps is married - to A WOMAN. Anyhow, life must go on despite such truly sad news.

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• Kristap’s work on display at VB 2011, entitled Artificial Peace, was executed in watercolor technique. Using beautifully luminescent water-based acrylic paints, the works introduce the large format series "Contemporary Landscape". The day glow paints under a black light happily reminded us of toking up the teenage basements and the dorm rooms of our youth - but Kristaps did it much cooler. We’re still holding out hope that Kristaps comes to his senses and realizes that he and Eric are meant for each other. [In Latvia the oak and the linden tree are characteristic elements of the landscape. Both trees are still widely used for medical purposes.]

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  Here Anna and Laura are caught hamming it up with Princess Lateefa bin Maktoum, representing the UAE. Lateefa’s does not show her face in her beautiful self-portraits nor does she for our snapshots.

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• Maktoum’s work is largely based in digitally manipulated photography depicting enhanced realities that draw upon her experiences and surroundings. These images contain a strong sense of narrative and often feature solitary female figures set amongst landscapes, which juxtapose nature with urban developments. Lateefa is an avid twitter user so follow her. [Before 1971, the UAE was known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference to a 19th-century truce between the United Kingdom and several Arab Sheikhs.]

•  

• It’s always good to celebrate important occasions with friends. Here is Anna with Fernando Prats at the opening reception for The Chilean Pavilion in The Arsenale.

                        Our pal Fernando, in his show entitled Grand Sur, showed three pieces of work: an intervention around the impact of the volcanic eruption in Chaitén (2008); a series of works alluding to the earthquake in south-central Chile (2010); and an installation in neon lettering that reproduces the ad that the Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton  posted circa 1911, calling for men for his expedition to Antarctica. We loved the cool pill-like cage that brought the trapped Chilblain miners back to their loved ones near the entrance of the Arsenale. Fernando, however, didn’t show this. [Just over 3000 species of fungi have been recorded from Chile but this number is far from complete.]

You can see by the the wetness on our faces it was hotter than two rats making love in a wool sock during the reception, but we endured because as the Whitney’s auntie says ‘that’s what friends are for’. That and because we were entranced by the condensation on the hundreds of bottles of fine Chilean wine we were eyeing during the long hot speeches. Why must people talk so much before getting to the drinking?

Now don’t think for even a minute that these are all the famous artists who we hobnobbed with in Venice!  So many more, but that’s a story for the next installment….

Hans van Meeuwen wins inaugural Boston Online Biennial

Well….when The Biennial Project began planning our fabulous trip to participate in the 54^th Venice Biennale we knew we would be successful—but who could have imagined the extent of our smashing success as The Biennial Project and their entourage of glitterati took the Big V by storm???!!!! Suffice it to say that we were surrounded by art rock stars of all shapes, sizes, and nationalities….but few could hold a candle to our own Hans van Meeuwen—the first place winner of the inaugural Boston Online Biennial.

Originally hailing from Rotterdam in The Netherlands, Hans moved to Germany in 1991 and then to New York in 2004—he currently lives in Brooklyn. He has exhibited extensively in Europe and in New York.

In 2008 he showed at New York’s Christinerose Gallery which was reviewed in (wait for it….) ART IN AMERICA, my bitches!!!!!! This alone officially make Hans Art World Royalty.

His work capitalizes greatly on elements of scale coupled with a deadpan dry wit. The pieces are often fanciful if not dreamlike, evoking a surreal and mysterious presence (giant CHICKEN FEET outside your tent, anyone???)

Though he has created public art pieces and installation, even his sculptures have an installation-esque quality. They seem like smaller parts of a larger whole which invites the viewer to interject his/her own narrative—explainations for what frequently appear to be extraordinary or paranormal phenomena.

HATS OFF TO OUR CHAMPION!!!

2011 VENICE BIENNALE: THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING

By Bo Petran

I’m in Venice – at last – and, with its subtle mists and roaring crowds, it does not disappoint. I have seen my first ineffable sunset and have had the various parts of my anatomy shoved by an indifferent attendant into an impossibly packed vaporetto. So I’m in Venice and pretty indiscriminately happy, wandering around the ‘back-behind’ of mobbed St. Mark’s Square, escaping from the sun and heat and screaming masses of people, who, as Henry James observed a century ago, should immediately leave and let me properly enjoy all this alone, when I happen on the big red “Biennale” pennant outside an old building, church, whatever, and enter, mostly just to get a rest.

The place is dim, quiet, cool, and a bit of a ruin, stripped to its architectural bones, former function unrecognizable.  I climb the stairs to the loft and settle into a room-sized beanbag, and all I want or expect is about 15 minutes of peace.  Luckily not to be had.

As I become accustomed to the light, I see around me people transfixed by a large screen cycling into a new showing of Singapore’s ‘The Cloud of Unknowing,’ which turns out to be the trippiest experience one could possibly have without aid of hallucinogen or other radical brain alteration.  And no one already present is leaving.

The video cycles through six apartments in a low-rent neglected urban high-rise, showing its largish occupants, 4 men, one woman, and some vegetation, at various mostly ordinary occupations leading up to – what is this? — their envelopment by cloud emanating from various parts of their apartments, from the bookcases, appliances, furnishings.

It’s a wonderful set of contrasts between the ‘nothingness’ of the cloud and the persistent bulkiness of the humans (and possibly the plants as well), the mundanity of their quotidian existences and the magical things that happen to them as they’re being engulfed, the silence of the solitary, monastic modern high rise cells otherwise known as apartments, and the joyous uproar of a drummer exuberantly banging things from a zone somewhere between monastic gongs and pure rock and roll.

As the cloud descends, dreaming man is sucked into white-sheeted bed, drummer is subsumed by torrential rains, and moss-filled apartment just plain luxuriates … I think.

Giving away the end – since it’s not likely to be in the local multiplex any time soon – as the screen fills with luminous cloud turning to pure light, the dark-ribbed old wooden loft begins also to fill with all-obscuring cloud.

One other point, about going to Venice.  Getting there cost an obscene amount of money and was a hard thing to decide to do in these times.  For anyone who still contemplates the purchase of, say, that big i-thing, using the logic that these things are tangible and lasting whereas some vacation will be over in a matter of weeks,

my advice is to go for the real lasting thing, the trip.

by Samantha Marder, Director of The Perfume Project

  This week the Boston-based perennial favorites The Biennial Project gleefully distributed black and yellow be-ribboned vials of their intoxicating new personal fragrance Star of Venice  to art aficionados in the Giardini venue of the Venice Biennale 2011.

  The introduction of this signature fragrance served as a crowning grace note to the project’s continued participation in all things Biennale. The Biennial Team received warm response and delighted surprise to the gesture.

  Certainly the soft scent of Star of Venice now wafts along the canals and down the narrow alleys of the city!

  The 14-Member Performance Art/Activist Troupe exhibited several new perfomative art pieces during the Biennale’s opening days, and took turns interviewing artists and hosting glittering social events throughout the week.

  Biennial Project literature was distributed at art pulse points all around town.

  Intrigue has been seeded and inquiries have already flooded in!

The sweet scent of Biennial Project success now permeates the historic glory of this eternal city!

  It was a BATTLE…a throw-down of EPIC proportions…a cat fight not seen since the likes of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan…and believe you me we ALL had our favorite horse in the race!!

But, of course THE BIENNIAL PROJECT was able to rise above the individual egos of its collective founding members (much like the white smoke rises upon selection of a new Pope)….and then VOILA!!!

…..there was agreement, finally, a consensus if you will, and THE BIENNIAL PROJECT is pleased as punch to announce the First Place Winner of the Inaugural Boston Online Biennial 2011….. and that winner is (drumroll now!!!)…

Hans Van Meeuwen of Brooklyn, NY and the Netherlands.

Congratulations Hans!!!

This is just one of the engaging images that our First Place Winner submitted. You can see more of Hans’ work  featured on our website with a gallery of his work and it will ALSO be showcased in an upcoming blog post!!

Boston Online Biennial 2011 First Place Winner's Gallery

Congratulations go out also to our Second Place Winner who hails from Australia—Kate MacKay!

…..and our third place winner Amy Bassin, a Long Island City-based  international video artist who is collaborating with Jana Hunterova of the Czech Republic and Frie J. Jacobs from Belgium!!!

But you know…truth be told…with 100’s of entries from 13 states and 16 countries from around the world....there are many more people to congratulate and they would be our prize winners and honorable mentions listed below. Congratulations to you one and all!

Robin Antar

Amy Bassin

Veronica Casellas

Francois de Costerd

Verónica Cuervo

Tom Estes

Beth Gilbert

Bella Gold

Brian Haberman

Jonathan Jackson

Sasa Jantolek

Marjorie Kaye

Alla Lazebnik

Charlene Liska

Paulo da Mata

Jane O’Hara

Kyle O’Brien

Teri Levine

Dan Loberg

Kate MacKay

Nasim Nasr

Bo Petran

Scott Roller

Claudio Scardino

Ema Sintamarian

George Shaw

Ashley Shellhause

Elizabeth Snipes

Hans Van Meeuwen

Thelma Van Rensburg

Adrian Wong

Terrance Wong

To see all the art juried into the Inaugural Boston Online Biennial 2011 Please check out the -

Boston Biennial Winners Gallery!