Entry Deadline extended for the Biennial Project Biennial–with High Profile Special Jurors Announced by Anna Salmeron

Your humble servants here at Biennial Project Laboratories are hard at work on making The Biennial Project Biennial at The 2019 Venice Biennale a great big extravaganza of fantastic art from far and wide. Boy are we lucky to be able to be able to get to know so many amazing artists though this contest. We cherish being able to see and share, with you, the fascinating work that these artists create. It definitely beats obsessing 24/7 about The End Of The World As We Know It. But we digress. We have some great news. Some Kick Ass Art People have agreed to be Special Guest Jurors for our show! Each of them will pick their favorite piece from the show to receive recognition with a Special Juror’s Prize. Without further ado, The Special Guest Jurors for The Biennial Project Biennial at The 2019 Venice Biennale are:

Founder and Publisher of  New England’s highly respected and read-by-everyone ArtScope Magazine - Kaveh Mojtabai.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT KAVEH MOJTABAI

 

Carrying on a family tradition of artistic excellence and innovation - the incredible artist Jeannie Motherwell.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT JEANNIE MOTHERWELL

 

And a trio of trailblazing contemporary Cuban artists, activists and organizers of the recent 00Biennial de la Habana - Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, Yanelys Nuñez Leyva, and Nonardo Perea.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CUBAN JURORS

INTERVIEW WITH CUBAN JURORS

 

Each of these Kick Ass Art People has stupendously good taste – so we can’t wait to see which five artists they single out for special recognition.

Because these five are now on board, we have decided to extend the deadline to enter The Biennial Project Biennial at The 2019 Venice Biennale until March 15th. What are you waiting for?

 

ENTER NOW

 

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The William Forsythe Exhibition at the ICA by Emily Dugle and Mark Hoffman

by Emily Dugie and Mark Hoffman

Q: So Emily, we hear there's a cool new show at the Institute of Contemporary Art here in Beantown. Have you seen it yet?

A: The William Forsythe Exhibition? I have! It was so incredible; I've gone back to see it twice.

Q. Wow Emily - you are truly impressive! We consider it an accomplishment to get to the good shows here once - twice is setting the bar pretty high. The ICA says about this exhibit that "Forsythe has developed installations, sculptures, and films that he calls Choreographic Objects. Blurring the lines between performance, sculpture, and installation, his Choreographic Objects invite the viewer to engage with the fundamental ideas of choreography." I have to admit that while I think dance is beautiful and all, I have no idea whatsoever what the fundamental ideas of choreography might be. Can you tell us some of your impression of the show?

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A: I have never been a dancer, and my only preconception of choreography itself is a organized routine that is followed step by step. Forsythe seems to take a different view of choreography in his installation. Not something the is practiced, and memorized, but something more internal and reactionary. Natural movements of the body in response to inner and outer stimulus. It encouraged a youthful exuberance from all the attendees I witnessed and promoted an atmosphere of playfulness while, at the same time, leading the participants to think about the movement of their bodies and others. 

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Q: OK, I am convinced. Group playfulness is a subject in entirely too short supply in today's world and especially in the ever-so-serious art world. And being prodded to think about the movement of our bodies alone and in concert with others seems to me to get at some deep body-centeredness that we have in childhood and lose somewhere along the line. You really make me want to see this show! Could you tell us about or describe one specific interactive thing within the installation that you liked? If I promise I will stop peppering you with questions soon?

A: My favorite installation within the exhibit was one that, the first time I went, no one noticed. It was an installation that was built into the museum walls. It had the appearance of someone slicing a 2 ft high gap into the bottom of the wall with the recess going back perhaps 15-20 feet. The first time I crawled into the opening, everyone else simply continued to walk past not noticing the hidden alcove. Laying on my back and watching the feet of the patrons walk past, I was amazed that such a confined space could feel so open and unrestricted. This probably had to do with the fact that I was only inside for a handful of minutes. 

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The second time I went to view the installation, the hidden space was well known, and it was full of laughter and people experimenting with different ways of moving around the space. The museum attendant was pointing out different ways people had found of entering and exiting that involved sliding and rolling as opposed to crawling to spare the knees of the patrons.

It was amazing the difference the space had when I was alone vs. when it was full of twisting bodies. 

Q: Thanks so much to Emily Dugie and Mark Hoffman for this interview and photos – you have convinced us that we MUST get off this sofa and go see this show!!!

 

so that we shall not die of reality…by Anna Salmeron

“We have art so that we shall not die of reality.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Some really great art is being submitted to The Biennial Project Biennial at the 2019 Venice Biennale. It is a joy to see and a joy to be able to share it with you. Here are six artists to brighten your day…..

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Lifeboat, by Caleb Nichols, Stoughton, Massachusetts

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American Inquisition, by Al Harden, Cincinnati, Ohio

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The Juggernaut of Nought, by Richard Trupp, London, Great Britain

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Women Dancing, by Faith Gabel, Brooklyn, New York

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Reality as Memory, by Ruth Rosner, Watertown, Massachusetts

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Looking for Level Ground, by Dee Hood, Ruskin, Florida

(SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO OUR BIENNIAL HERE)

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Include The Biennial Project in the 2021 Venice Biennale by Anna Salmeron

We the undersigned entreat the Justly Venerated Authority of the Venice Biennale to acknowledge that a Grave Miscarriage of Justice has resulted from the failure of said body to include The Biennial Project in any of it's previous biennial exhibits.

This despite the demonstrable fact that the work of The Biennial Project and it's legally incorporated subsidiaries do so clearly merit inclusion in such exhibits.

We do hereby propose as remedy to this calamitous state of affairs that the Venice Biennale issue a formal invitation post haste to The Biennial Project to participate in an official and recognized capacity in the 59th Venice Biennale to be held in the city of Venice in the year 2021.

SIGN OUR PETITION HERE

Include The Biennial Project in the 2021 Venice Biennale


Watch our Video

Less of Us–Week 1 by Anna Salmeron

Our 25 week Journey to Greatness has commenced!

7 out of 8 of our faithful pilgrims showed up on Saturday to set their goals, discuss past challenges, weigh in, and make some wagers here and there.

Here are the Starting Point photos of Bo, Stephanie, Eric, Melissa, Anna And Diane.

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This week we all are going to focus on being our slightly better selves. We are also going to download an app called WhatsApp to our phones so that we  can have a private platform to keep in touch.

MESSAGE FROM OSCAR:

“This past Saturday I witnessed a group of an incredible people who are ready to commit. Support groups like the one we have will go a very long way and we can only benefit from this process. This may shock you guys but I came out as a different person right after the first session. I heard a lot of powerful stuff and can’t wait to see how everyone will progress.

Wednesdays between 12pm-1pm I am available for calls to discuss and support and give any feedback you need. My phone number is . You can call or text me, whatever works better for you. Just remember, don’t be shy! Ask for what you need.

What I would love to see these upcoming weeks is paying attention to how you practice self care in the moment, and, as people discussed in the meeting, portion-control. I will cover more on how we can work on it. Please feel free to have questions ready so we can discuss as a group.

WhatsApp is the app that would be an additional tool for us discuss and share photos and more. Try to download it to your phone if you haven’t already.”

NEXT MEETING FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9th

6-7:15PM AT 80 BORDER STREET.

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you want to travel with us....... by Anna Salmeron

and you know that we're half crazy, but that's why you want to be there.

As you may have heard, there is this large-ish art exhibition held in Venice once every two years known as the Venice Biennale.

And as you may or may not have heard, The Biennial Project hosts a big wonderful artist brigade that attends each Venice Biennale during the head-spinning week of press previews that lead up to the opening.

It is SO MUCH DAMN FUN - a chance to hang out with artist friends and get to know new ones in the mesmerizing backdrop of Venice while exploring a mind-bending amount of fascinating contemporary art.

And while here is never a shortage of receptions and parties to be had during this wild and crazy week,  just to be sure, The Biennial Project hosts a fantastic reception/gala of our own during the trip to display all the fabulous art work we have accepted into our very own “biennale within a biennale”.

We will of course give you more details on how to enter your work in our biennale in the months to come, but we wanted to get word about the trip out now for those intrepid souls who might be interested in going with us and experiencing this one of a kind experience for themselves.

Now, perhaps this idea intrigues you but you are thinking “oh come on now you crazy Biennial Project kids, it’s way too early to make plans for a trip so far in advance”. Well, one would think so, except that the Press preview week of the Venice Biennele is SOOO absurdly popular, and attended by so many collectors, gallerists, critics and various VIP-types, that to have any chance of booking a super nice flat close to the proceedings at a reasonable cost, one has to commit, well, yesterday.

Our group currently fills TEN absolutely perfect flats super near each other in a great area - over 40 artists so far! We have tentative holds on a few other lovely flats, and are looking to fill them up with old friends and new ones who want to come along for this glorious ride.

If you think you might like to go, let us know and we can help guide you thru the process. We will admit to being just a teensy weensy bit obsessed with this – we are the Biennial Project after all – and we have accumulated a fair amount of knowledge on the subject which we are more than happy to share with you. Come on now, live while you can.

VENICE CALLING YOU!

The Biennial Project blog and website

The Biennial Project’s Retirement Plan by Anna Salmeron

Eric – I’ve decided we are going to win Powerball.

          We should have the billion dollars.

          We can move to PR and save every dog there.

          Then summer in the Berkshires and save dogs there.

          And keep a loft in Bushwick and throw big parties.

          And build our own pavilion in Venice.

          Then wonder what happened to all that money 10 years 

          later.

          But look back and smile from our Section 8 on McGrath

          highway.

          And then we’ll spend our ss checks on lottery tickets

          because god will smile on us twice.

          Pennies from heaven…..

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Anna–When is the Powerball drawing?

           It will be a very good 10 years with that money.

           We can have that H&G show help us buy one of our

           houses and call it Performance Art, which of course it is.

           And a house by a river outside of Prague.

           And now that I am thinking, we will need a private

           plane so that our dogs can have an easy flight with us

           as we jet back and forth.

           With our logo painted big on the outside.

           Like the Rolling Stones.

Eric -   It’s going to be a great 9 years.

Anna- I can hardly wait. When do we play?

           And the Cuban dogs need our help too. If this takes us

           down to 8 years I am OK with it.

           Because we will win again.

           And if not, we will always have our ss checks, right?

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Less of US by Venice 2019 by Anna Salmeron

OK, now don’t anybody panic, but this is what we are headed into in Venice.

Mobs of well-dressed, well-presented Europeans, all decked out in their finest art reception outfits.

Not to mention that to get around and see all that is to be seen while there, one needs a pretty high level of aerobic fitness to traverse the one million cobblestone steps of this lovely, elegant city.

You see where this is going don’t you? If not, look at the pictures for a moment and it will come to you.

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Now you get it right?

Yep, we must work on ourselves a little by then to get the most out of this trip, and to have any hope of a Successful Presentation of Self while there.

Two options here:

1) Admit that this is the truth, and make vague promises to oneself to work on this as possible, etc., etc., and as usual do too little too late and later regret this course of action.

2) DO something fun and helpful (and arty!) and feel fabulous and strong and prepared for your most flattering clothes in Venice and have the best time ever, and be be proud of yourself for having taken action at a crucial moment.

We know from years of personal experience that this is a tough choice, but this time we are hoping to go for option 2, and you can too.

So now, without further ado, we present to you in more detail:

OPTION TWO

A 25 week program (beginning in November and finishing right before we go to Venice) to support us all in reaching our individual personal body/mind goals. Goals could include weight loss, increased aerobic capacity, improved muscle strength and balance – each person will set their own goals. To help each participant achieve their goals, the program will include:

Weekly 1.5 hour group meetings that will include weigh ins (for those who want them), setting of goals for coming week and review of successes and challenges in previous week, 30 minutes exercise of some kind, and a brief closing meditation. Classes will be led by Oscar E Cruz, a truly amazing trainer and lifestyle coach who has helped MANY people reach their fitness goals. Class to be held at 80 Border Street in East Boston.

Frequent communication to and from Oscar during the week to help us learn and stay on track. This will include a weekly newsletter to the group as well as info targeted to each participant’s needs and struggles, and access to Oscar to ask fitness or workout questions.

Membership in a FB group where we will share info and encouragement.

For those who want, the opportunity to participate in the performance art aspect of this group project. This part is totally optional and we will not share any info on participants who would rather not do this. But if you are into it, a fun opportunity to chart our progress via pics, videos, charts – we are a creative group so the possibilities here are endless.

The cost for this whole program is $250 per participant – which figures out to be only $10 per week. This is a steal for this kind of coaching program. We know not everyone involved will be able to come to every meeting, but if you are away or can’t come – you can still call or skype in to the meeting to give us your update and get feedback.

We have only 12 spots in the program to make sure that everyone gets the personalized support that we need.

So far Anna, Bo, Stephanie, Melissa are committed, and several others are probable.  SO, what’s it to be? Are you in?

Less of US Introduction

The Biennial Project’s ongoing collaboration with Tony Conrad by Anna Salmeron

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Don’t you just love it when you hear that a long-time artistic collaborator is having a major retrospective at a prestigious local institution, and you get to stop by and enjoy their unique contributions to the art world once again? While drinking good wine for a change?

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Such was the case last night at the opening of the Tony Conrad exhibit at MIT’s List Center. Entertaiment was had, and it was great to get to know this artist’s overall body of work, since we had previously known him mostly from his input on a joint project.

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The Biennial Project first had the pleasure of working with Tony (who went by the moniker tOny to his closest friends) in 2010 in our seminal Advice from Artists Who Have Made It series. tOny’s contribution to this series is excerpted below:

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XXOO,

The Biennial Project

P.S. Watch US playing with one of Tony’s cool toys at the opening

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P.S.S. Seriously, go see this show if you can.