As loyal disciples of The Biennial Project you must have noticed that from time to time we like to fill you in on what is happening with biennials/biennales across our globe. We’ll let you know which biennials we deem hot or interesting, how to enter one or two of them and sometimes ‘who’ people are wearing to these festive, thought-provoking and popular events.
So as the saying goes, in like a Lion out like Lamb…………
Singapore is known for great shopping and a heavy-duty financial market. Now this country, made up of 63 islands, will also be known for The Singapore Biennale 2011. This event of all events opens up on March 13 and runs until May 15th. Its theme is Open House. We, The Biennial Project love to go to Open Houses on Sunday afternoons (when we are not making epic pieces of art). We,The Biennial Project like to check out how other people live, and then judge how they live. Basically we, The Biennial Project enjoy being bitchy. The Biennial Project thinks that maybe The Singaporeans hope that the showing artists will look at the interpretation as people opening up their homes and hearts to friends and loved ones as in a party. We think judging other folk is more fun. No cleaning up after guests is involved. No red wine stains on the sofa. No trying to get your drunken friend of a friend into a cab so they don’t run over overweight, handicapped, American kids on the road.
You will see that the first thing you see when you open the website to http://www.singaporebiennale.org/ are advertisements for the Merlion Hotel. Hey, someone has to pay for all this.
Seriously now….this Biennale looks like it will be da bomb. Almost 50% of the artists are from Asia and 9 out of the 62 showing artists are from Singapore. 62 artists for 63 islands!!! Artistic Director Matthew Nguiwith leads the Curatorial Team with help from Russell Storer and Trevor Smith. The public (this means us for now) is invited to explore installations in sights all around the city such as the Old Kallang Airport, the Marina, A Shopping Center and, most interestingly, some sort of Orwellian Housing Project. (As well as, of course, the Merlion Hotel).
Art Rock stars and yummy, man-eye-candy Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset are exhibiting (WE still get hard thinking about them and their house installation at The Venice Biennale 2009 and The Prada Store outside Marfa, Texas). Ming Wong from Singapore Goto Design from Japan and Taiwan will have swag in their Singaporean steps as well. Ceal Floyer,Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Tatzu Nishi will be strutting from island to island as it should be.
This year, on your Middle Eastern winter vacation, plan on by-passing Dubai and Abu Dhabi and instead head straight north to the city of Shajah for the 10th Sharjah Biennial, 2011. Shariah is considered to be the cultural capital of the region and by looking at photos it has a kick ass Ferris Wheel to ride. The Biennial theme is ’Plot for a Biennial’ and will be held at sites all over the city including Shatjah’s Historic Cricket Stadium which is now an Avant Garde contemporary art space. The Biennial, which runs from March 16th until May16th, has too many artists to mention. Information can be found on
Be Forewarned –
If getting piss ass high and hunting for one-night stands are your idea of great biennial experience (ranks high on our list), be warned that Sharjah is the only Emirate in which the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol is banned. The Emirate also maintains the strictest decency laws in the UAE with a conservative dress code required for both men and women. Mixing between unmarried men and women is illegal: "A man and a woman who are not in a legally acceptable relationship should not, according to the booklet, be alone in public places, or in suspicious times or circumstances”. So hiding a bottle of vodka under your burka is probably not a good idea.
Slightly more relaxed then U.A.E., The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Roanoke College is hosting their own little Biennial. Carter Foster who is currently a curator at THE WHITNEY judges this show!!! He will be giving a lecture there this Thursday evening at 6pm in Roanoke’s very own Olin Hall. We at The Biennial Project see this as an opportunity to kiss some major Whitney ass. The name ‘Carter Foster’ has sort of a porn star/soap opera ring to it. The Biennial Project likes to imagine that he is hot. Information can be found at http://www.marginalarts.com/2011/roanoke-college-juried-exhibition-lecture/
BIENNIAL CALL FOR ENTRIES
For those of us who like to have our art looked at more then we like to look at others (it is about us after all) here is your chance to hit the biennial hall of fame. We at The Biennial Project hope you will take advantage of some of these Call to Entries.
The Halpert Biennial ’11 in Boone, North Carolina has applications available at http://halpert.tcva.appstate.edu/. This is one of those fantastic Biennials that give you cold, hard cash if your art is better then the rest. If you win, we at The Biennial Project do not necessarily expect you to split your cash and prizes with us, but it would be nice. We promise we will be responsible with your contribution and will not spend all the money on drugs and prostitutes (unless you want us too, that would make us happy).
While we are highlighting the wonderful small towns of America, we wouldn’t want you to miss your chance to exhibit at The South Bend Museum of Art Biennial 26. Entries are due on April 1. Six years ago my teenage niece ran away from home to shack up with a guy she met on the Internet. After my sister located her it took a few days of bribing the kid to get her to come home for the Junior Prom. To kill time my sister actually went to The South Bend Museum of Art Biennial and said ‘it was pretty cool and was a nice distraction from all the life drama going on’’. Information can be found at http://southbendart.org/index.php?lt=1&p=see_exhibitionopportunities
Finally we want to give you the chance to put The Chelsea Biennial of Art 2011 on your C.V.s. The word Biennial carries lots of weight and so does the word Chelsea. If you make into this Biennial it will look as if you have FINALLY ARRIVED. We have no idea if this Biennial will be any good but really…who cares? It sounds great on your resume and isn’t that what really matters? For information go to
Having your own Biennial or Biennale? Let us know. We are always happy to lend a hand and publicize your event. Look how big The Venice Biennale got after we went.
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