The excitement in Boston over the New Biennial Project Show is palpable. No really, we’ve gotten great reviews. Real reviews, in actual publications, not written by ourselves. Both The Weekly Dig and The Phoenix love us!

 Here is the text of The Weekly Dig Review -

GREETINGS FROM BIENNIALAND

They are the world, they are the children

By J. PATRICK BROWN

Once every two years, the art world gathers together to conspire against its uncool older brother, the real world, with a self-congratulatory shindig showcasing works by the In-Right-Now-crowd, who wear the blackest all-black outfits and smoke the foulest cloves. Artists. As seen on TV.

This event is known as a Biennale. It is the bizarre marriage of a coming-out party and a wrestling match, with the militantly goateed crawling over each other for a coveted, career-making, who-needs-law-school-now-Dad spot among local art darlings. The original and most prestigious Biennale has been held in Vienna since 1895, and remains the ultima parola in brut-sipping nod-fests.

Just as the wrestling event Royal Rumble spawned the World Championship Wrestling knock-off World War 3, Vienna's biennial has inspired imitators of varying degrees of paleness all over the globe. In fact, over the last 20 years, they've multiplied rapidly, jumping from a mere 17 in 1980s to over 60 currently active. So when Bumfucksville decided it could not deny the world a forum for its myriad contributions to the world's rich creative tapestry, out would come a fresh crop of turtle-necked wunderkind chuckling softly at your opinions while munching on soda crackers. Clearly, something had to be done.

Fortunately, a group of Bostonians knew exactly what these exercises in the excruciating were missing: them.

And a new exhibit at the Atlantic Works Gallery documents the misadventures of four Boston artists who hit up five biennials in three different countries, gatecrashing snoot-fests over the globe, rallying behind the entirely reasonable question: "Why not us?"

"We're the quintessential outsiders who want to be insiders," explains Laura Rollins, the quartet's ringleader. "Everyone who is making art wants to be famous. As it concerns visual art, we're interested in how people get into these exhibits. I mean, are there secrets? Are there strategies? Why can't we be one of those people?"

To that end, Rollins and friends decided to join the festivities, come hell or high water(color). They showed up unannounced, creating a public spectacle, dressing in outlandish garb—in other words, acting like those artists everyone keeps hearing about.

"We get a panoply of responses. Some people are appalled, some people think it's the funniest thing ever, and some people are dying to find the same answers [we were looking for]."

The group lovingly crafted goodie-bags for the curators, helpfully handed out bio-hazard flyers to passers-by, and in Vienna, they even hosted an unofficial closing ceremony.

"It's not like [the Biennale Organization] actually approved us having the ceremony," says Rollins. "We just did it—we ripped off their logo and their font from their press material, and printed up some invitations ... the theme [for the Biennale] was 'Making Worlds' ... so we got a karaoke machine set up outside the main gate and played songs with 'world' as their theme. 'We Are the World' was the easiest one, everyone knew that."

This Thursday's opening reception documents the group's collision course with fame, and despite a few bruises and the odd bloody fingernail from clawing their way to the top, one thing comes through quite clear:

"We had fun," Rollins says with a smile, "in spades. We had a very good time, no doubt."

Yes, yes, we know they confused Vienna and Venice, but otherwise they got it right, wouldn’t you say?  We told you this thing had legs.  And to think you could have bought Biennial Project Stock right at the beginning. So jump on board now so you won’t be kicking yourself in a year or two. 

Of course,The Opening Itself was also amazing, with a gaggle of Cool and Hip Arty Types in attendance for the festivities.

                          We were our usual charming selves!

And, as always, endeavored to deflect attention from ourselves

                                to our Important Work.

And because we know that seeing our work and hanging out with us are important to you, we are inviting you and yours to an Exclusive Second Reception for Greetings from Biennialandto be held this coming Thursday, August 19th, from 6-9pm, at the Atlantic Works Gallery (atlanticworks.org for more info). See you there, and in the meantime, remember, Be Bold, Be Dazzling, Be Fabulous!

P.S. Thanks to cool Biennial Project friends Paul Weiner, Mitchel Ahern, and Mark Hoffman for event pics!

Well this being famous thing just keeps getting better and better.  Last week The Biennial Project was on it's way to an important meeting with Sebastian Smee of the Boston Globe to discuss publicity for our upcoming show (opening Thursday August 5th, as if you needed any reminding!).  Anyway, as we were driving along in The Biennialmobile, a sparkling silver truck pulled alongside us, with the driver and his passenger waving and shouting.  For a moment we wondered who we had cut off this time, or more likely the Damn Paparazzi found us picking our noses again, until we realized that they were smiling and pointing at our Biennial Project Logos. We decided to risk rolling down the window a bit, at which point the (yes really attractive) couple yelled "The Biennial Project!  You're great!  We love you guys!".  Unsolicited accolades from great-looking people on the on ramp to 93 south!  Surely life just does not get much better than this! Wanting to give back to our public, we yelled at them "Join our Fan Club", to which they naturally replied "We already have!".  Being artists, we thought to snap a photo and get their contact info.   

So that's how smoking hot Fernando De Oliviera, excellent artist, truck-driving man, Biennial Project Fan, came to be this month's Biennial Project Fan of the Month!  Here's to you Fernando!!!
Check out his work at http://www.fernandodeoliveira.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ATLANTIC WORKS GALLERY

PRESENTS

GREETINGS from BIENNIALAND

New Works Documenting the Journeys of

The Biennial Project

Opening Reception:  August 5, 6-9 pm:  80 Border Street, East Boston

East Boston, MA, USA August, 2010—From August 5 to August 28, 2010, Atlantic Works Gallery presents  GREETINGS from BIENNIALAND:  New Works Documenting the Journeys of  The Biennial Project.

The last year and a half has been just an amazing time for The Biennial Project!  From Baja to Montreal  to Venice (yup, the one in Italy) to New York to Worcester  the globe-trotting merry band of fun-loving artists have participated  in some of the world’s most celebrated art extravaganzas...and in so doing, hobnobbed with some pretty special (read famous) folks.  There were so many memorable moments!

One very special highlight no doubt was a personal private meeting in February with brand new BFF, Gary Carrion-Muyayari, curator of the world-reknowned 2010 Whitney Biennial held at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art.  Oh the excitement!!  And the photo opp!!

Another Truly Amazing Moment was hosting the Closing Ceremony at the uber-prestigious 2009 Venice Biennale.  Artists and patrons mingling and yes, singing together as afternoon faded to dusk along Venice’s famed Grand Canal.  Ah, Venice….

As The Biennial Project’s popularity and international presence continues to skyrocket, it is hard to recall at times the group’s humble origins—born in a dilapidated and nearly abandoned warehouse less than three years ago in East Boston.  Yet with their bold “It’s About Us” mantra and unflinching pursuit of Art World Fame and Recognition,   “The Project”  has scratched and clawed  (in true diva style) its way to the top of the Art World Heap……and thankfully they have the photos and videos and charts and maps to prove it!                 

The public is invited to attend the OPENING RECEPTION  on Thursday, August 5 from 6 to 9pm and to visit the gallery during the following hours:  Fridays 2 – 6pm and Saturdays 2 – 6pm.  The public is also invited to attend the Atlantic Works Gallery’s monthly THIRD THURSDAY SHINDIG on Thursday, August 19 from 6 to 9pm.

To schedule a private press viewing and interview at a more convenient time, please contact Laura Rollins, 617.877.8249.

Begun in 2003, ATLANTIC WORKS GALLERY, “East Boston’s Collaborative Space for Art and Ideas,” is a member-operated gallery located on the top floor of 80 Border Street on the waterfront of East Boston.   It is T-accessible (near the Maverick T stop on the Blue Line) and parking space is usually ample.  For detailed directions and other information about members and past and future shows, please see atlanticworks.org

     The last year has been just an amazing time for us here at The Biennial Project!  From Venice to the Whitney to Worcester, we have participated in some of the world’s most celebrated art extravaganzas, and hobnobbed with some pretty special (did we say famous?) folks. There were so many memorable moments! 

     But the highlight of it all would have to be our personal private meeting in February with brand new super good friend Gary Carrion-Muyayari at the Members and VIP’s Only Opening of the 2010 Whitney Biennial.  Gary was understandably busy that day, and was available for photo opps with only the most important of the many important artists and big shots there, so this meeting was such an honor.  Oh, the excitement – all we can say is that this is truly what art is all about!!! 

     But alas, as all that is flesh must fade away, even Really Prestigious Biennial Exhibits must come to an end.  With the closing of Gary’s Biennial last week, we wanted to salute our special friend as The Biennial Project Fan of the Month.  The world may forget you Gary, but we never will.  Gary Carrion-Muyayari, art lover, noted curator, cute 28 year old, Biennial Project Fan, here’s to you!

As our popularity and international presence continues to skyrocket, we must admit that at times, even we forget our humble origins.  As we reflect and continue to be amazed at just HOW about us it really is, we think it is appropriate to revisit that moment in time not so long ago that a star….ok, well, several stars were born.

We are thrilled and honored to have you aboard as we travel back in time to 2008….

Why the Biennial project?

What is this Biennial Project, you may ask? Well, it is nothing more and nothing less than this – a collaborative project by four talented and fun-loving artists to explore the nature and understand the perception of biennial exhibits within the art world, and in so doing to develop a collective body of work that will ultimately be shown in as many biennial exhibits as possible, especially the really cool ones. Towards this end we will investigate the who, what, how and why of getting into a biennial, so as to be better able to develop a suitable body of work.

How, you may ask, did we get started on such a project. Well, the beginning was like this – in the fall of 2007, Biennial Project lead artist Laura Rollins, being the cool globe-trotting artist chick that she is, had just returned from the Venice Biennale, where she had been inundated with Biennial Art – the great, the good, the bad, and the really bad. She, like other members of our really cool artist community before her, had several conflicting reactions to seeing all this stamp-of-approval art in one place. First, that much of the art was inspirational, second, that much of it sucked, and finally, that much of the stuff that we and our really cool artist friends were doing was better. So why weren’t WE there, sipping chianti and chatting up pretty young things at the openings?

To answer this question, we have had to look deeply and honestly into ourselves, and upon so doing, frankly, we like what we see, and feel we have the qualities necessary to achieve major success. We've read a little art history, WE have the sense of ironic detachment mandatory in today’s environment, WE know enough not to inject our work with any real emotion or technique, WE are careful to always include the suitable current buzzwords when describing our work, WE have cool black outfits, WE never make much sense when asked direct questions, and WE suck in the straight world.

So why haven’t WE become the Art Rock Stars we so clearly deserve to be? What is preventing us from fulfilling our dreams, and how can we change it?

That is what we have set out to explore, and we hope you will travel with us on this journey of discovery.

Oh and by the way, our maiden video was selected for inclusion in the prestigious 2008 Baja Biennial……what a beginning!  You will so enjoy it below…

You’ve been following the Biennial Project’s fun-filled international high jinx for months….now comes the payoff!!  Come and join us for our REPORT BACK FROM THE VENICE BIENNALE AND WHITNEY BIENNIAL!

Well, we've been thinking....Now don't get all worried, you'll like this. The Biennial Project is, as you may have noticed, mostly about us. We must make it to the top of the World Art Heap, AND make no mistake about it, we will!  But you, our devoted followers, also desire success.  And we understand that people with the good taste to follow us deserve world-wide recognition as well.  SO... we are inaugurating a new regular blog feature dedicated to helping you too become masters of your art-world fate.  Each month we will search far and wide for the most up-to-the minute info about the coolest biennial exhibits out there.  We will provide links related to submission opportunities, exhibition dates, and interesting biennial reviews, as well as fun sites that delve into the biennialism phenomenon.  Our first entry in that category is a nifty site that we wish we had produced - but it was actually done by the Asian Art Archive - called   All You Wanted To Know About International Art Biennials.   Check out their Did You Know page for great info and trivia on the development of biennialism worldwide.


Feel free to pass this info along to your friends - and encourage them to join The Biennial Project Fan Club/Mailing List on our website - www.biennialproject.com or subscribe to our blog to continue to receive regular updates about the biennial world.  

There, now don't say we never did anything for you!

XOXOXO,

The Biennial Project

 

Upcoming Biennial Openings

Bucharest Biennial

This biennial is curated by perhaps the youngest biennial curator yet: he was born in 1987 (after the fall of the Berlin Wall and also after intern Lorraine was born - truly frightening!). Their website lists their favorite restaurants and hotels, so have a good time in Romania!

Dak'Art Biennial

If you're able to go to Senegal, definitely pop by Dak'Art, the Dakar Biennial. There isn't much information on the website, but perhaps sending an email to the organizers would help in locating where to stay.

Cool Biennial Reviews & Interviews

Series of videos by jameskalm about the 2010 Whitney Biennial - apparently he was removed from the press list for the 2008 Biennial and got busted by security, which gives him an interesting perspective.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS7wn0bJZDM

Cool Biennialism Links

This is a poem about the meaning of "Biennialism/Biennialist" from a very interesting web site that discusses an art project called "Emergency Room". I recommend checking out the rest of the web site, but this is what got us there: http://www.emergencyrooms.org/dictionary/words/biennalist.html

The Biennial Project has the coolest fans in the world! As globe-trotting International Art Rock Stars, we travel the planet meeting the Glitterati. Starting today we will share our best fan photo every month. We thought long and hard (ahem!) about who should be the first Fan Of The Month – and decided to lead with nudity. Rick Dorff – amazing artist, deep thinker, and Biennial Project Fan – here’s to you!

Just back from our wildly successful appearance at the 2010 Whitney Biennial! We had so much fun-

giving lovely Biennial Project Gift Baskets to our friends the curators – Francesco Bonami and Gary Carrion-Muyayari ,

  having photos taken with curator Gary Carrion-Muyayari ,

meeting with various dignitaries,

getting our important word out,

and reviewing the show for the BPP (Biennial Project Press).

Unfortunately, there was some kind of mix-up with the invite list to the exclusive VIP premier party -

and we were denied entry!

Asked to leave!  Asked more firmly to leave!  Escorted out!  Removed from our hiding place in the women's bathroom! Watch the outrage of the art-loving public!

Ah well, tomorrow is another day.....

(check back soon for more fun Whitney footage!)