Biennials move to a Latin beat after decades of controversy
2
THE ART NEWSPAPER ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH DAIL Y EDITION Friday 5 December 2014 Q I U Z H I J I E : C L A I R E R I G B Y . S A N T A N D E R C U L T U R A L : F Á B I O D E L R E , C A R L O S S T E I N V I V A F O T O . D O W N E Y : H A R R Y S H U N K ; C O U R T E S Y O F M A R I L Y N B E L T D O W N E Y , T H E J U A N D O W N E Y E S T A T E EXHIBITIONS 6 Biennials move to a Latin beat after decades of controversy Surge in new and revived South American exhibitions reflects global demand for contemporary art TRENDS São Paulo. Two new Latin American biennials launched in 2014: a biennial in Cartagena, Colombia, and a trien- nial in Sorocaba, an affluent city just over 100km west of São Paulo, Brazil. Anothe r bienn ial is d ue to la unch in October 2015 in Asunción, Paraguay. They join a network of biennials reaching from Montevideo, Uruguay, into Brazil, with its four biennials, along the Andes to Cuenca, Ecuador, and up into the Caribbean, where the 11th Bienal de la Habana—actually a triennial—took place in 2012. The shadows of defunct or dormant biennials hover in the margins—Ushuaia, Santiago, Lima, Medellín—while in Salvador, the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, a third biennial was staged this year, after a 46-year hiatus. The Bienal da Bahia began in 1966 only to be abruptly halted in 1968, when the military government closed the show on its second day, confiscating 19 “subversive” or “morally offensive” works an d impri soning th e curator s Juare z Par aíso a nd Rio lan C outinh o. This year’s Bahia biennial, which ran from May to September, featured some of the works from the first and second events, as well as works by artists from more than 20 countries, breaking with the 1968 biennial’s focus on Bahian artists—a controver- sial choice that created a schism at the time, contributing to the death of the nascent event. “I think internationalism is impor- tant for a biennial,” says Alfons Hug, the founding curator of the Bienal de Montevideo (its second edition closed on 22 November). “It needs to have a global reach. When a bien- nial is fixated purely on the local, it’s more like a national salon.” Hug, who organised the Bienal de São Paulo in 2002 and 2004, has organised a long list of other biennials and pavilions, including Latin American and Bra- zilian pavilions at the Venice Bien- nale and the 2009 Bienal del Fin del B u s t o f A l e x a n d e r t h e G r e a t R o m a n , E a r l y I m p e r i a l c o u r t e s y o f P h o e n i x A n c i e n t A r t Park Avenue Armory May 8 - 12, 2015 A F air of Art & D es ign from Antiqui ty COLLECTING ACROSS CENTURIES JUXTAPOSITIONS Held in São Paulo from 26 to 30 November, the second World Biennial Forum took place in parallel with the city’s art biennial, which closes on Sunday. Following on from the rst World Biennial Forum, “Shifting Gravity,” which was held in Gwangju, South Korea, in 2012, this year’s gathering was called “How to Make Biennials in Contemporary Times”. With a programme developed by the 31st São Paulo biennial’s curatorial team—Charles Esche, Galit Eilat, Nuria Enguita Mayo, Pablo Lafuente, Oren Sagiv, Luiza Proença and Benjamin Seroussi—the forum “questioned and provoked” the concept of the biennial, focusing on the “Global South”, and in particular on biennials in Dakar, Istanbul, Jakarta and São Paulo. “We asked people to take a critical, analytical look at biennial subjects, rather than present their own work,” the London-based curator Pablo Lafuente says. The forum arose from a conference held in Bergen in 2009 to discuss whether or not a biennial should be created for the Norwegian city. A triennial, the Bergen Assembly, was rst held in 2013. “We think it’s important that the people who make biennials think about the history behind them,” Lafuente says. “It’s essential to be rigorous. We want to talk about the effects of biennials, and what makes them possible in terms of money, politics and so on—who pays our salaries.” As well as a series of morning workshops for the representatives of international biennials, four major sessions were open to the public covering the topics of archives and biennial memory; what comes after national art competitions and the promotion of cities as tourist destinations; education, ideology and exchange; and the role of art and artists. The forum was co-organised by São Paulo’s Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea. C.Ry. Forum looks at how to make a modern biennial “[Biennials are] a sign of the health of an economy” Juan Downe y’s Mapa Mundi , 1979 (detail) The C hinese artis t Qiu Zhijie worki ng on Map at this year’s São Paulo biennial. Left, the Santander Cultural building in Porto Al egre, Brazil Mundo, held at the southernmost tip of South America in Ushuaia, the capital city of the Argentine province Tierra del Fuego. Acco rding to Hug, one of the secret charms of biennials is their ability, thanks to a combination of scale and institutional clout, to occupy antique and historic spaces. “There is something about the patina of old and ruined spaces that suits contemporary art extremely well,” he says. In Latin America, Hug says, a wealth of colonial architecture in cities like Cuenca, Havana, Salvador and Cartagena allows works, particu- larly installation s and videos, to shine. In southern Brazil, Curitiba’s biennial makes use of some of the ornate mansions once owned by the city’s wea lthy “maté barons”, while in Porto Ale gre, whe re th e Bienal do Me rcos ul is held in odd-numbered years, a col- lection of fine Neo-Classical buildings in the city centre includes the lovely Santander Cultural, a former bank. The São Paulo biennial, on the other hand, has occupied the vast Modernist pavilion created by Oscar Niemeyer since its fourth edition in 1957. This year, Oren Sagiv, one of the biennial’s curators, split the space into three discrete areas in a plan that won approval in the staunchly conservative Brazilian city, where some of the other aspects of the exhibition, with its assertively polit- ical works, have been the subject of controversy. That innate conservatism has also arguably helped to secure the longevity of the São Paulo biennial, which is second only to Venice. For a biennial to last beyond one, two or three editions, Hug says, there needs to be a certain cohesion among the bourgeoisie. “You need two or three people with some authority,” he says. “That works well in São Paulo, and in Porto Alegre, where the local business community is united and well organ- ised behind the cause.” For Josué Mattos, the curator of “Frestas”, the new Trienal de Artes in Sorocaba, which runs until May 2015, the benefits of a systematised biennial process can contribute to a sense that the biennial model is becoming “exhausted”. He says: “There is a danger at a certain point that a long-running biennial can become a festival of art, for better or worse, rather than an event that is constantly problematised. ” What is required, Mattos says, is a commit- ment to mobilising groups of artists with whom it mi ght be possibl e “to raise questions and to instigate”. At the 1981 B ienal de Me dellín, in a work that was censored, the Colom- bian artist Beatriz González made a banner that read: “This biennial is a luxury that an underdeveloped country cannot afford.” “Biennials are synonyms for suc- cessful emerging countries,” Hug says. “You don’t get them in bankrupt countries or in crises; you get them in aspiring countries like Uruguay, Brazil and Colombia. And in Asia, in Singapore, China and Korea. It’s usually a very good sign of the health of an economy and of a society.” “Aspiri ng” is not a term normally associated with Paraguay, one of South Ameri ca’s poore st countri es. But for Royce Smith, the principal curator and founder of Paraguay’s forthcom- ing biennial, Asunción’s rawness and potential make it the perfect host. “I think there is a sense that establishe d biennials have set the goalposts for the operations of mega-exhibitions: what they are, how many people should come, what ‘quality’ of artists should be included,” Smith says. He cites a comment made to him by the Chilean curator Paz Guevara about why the Biennial of the End of the World existed, in remote, far-flung Ushuaia : “Because e veryone ha s the right to the contemporary.” Claire Rigby
Transcript of Biennials move to a Latin beat after decades of controversy
THE ART NEWSPAPER ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH DAILY EDITION Friday 5 December 2014
Q I U Z H I J I E C
L A I R E R I G B Y S A N T A N D E R C U L T U R A L F
Aacute B I O D E L R E
C A R L O S S T E I N 983087 V I V A F O T O
D O W N E Y
H A R R Y S H U N K
C O U R T E S Y O F M A R I L Y N B E L T D O W N E Y
T H E J U A N D O W N E Y E S T A T E
EXHIBITIONS
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Biennials move to a Latin beatafter decades of controversy Surge in new and revived South American exhibitions reflects global demand for contemporary art
TRENDS
Satildeo Paulo Two new Latin American
biennials launched in 2014 a biennialin Cartagena Colombia and a trien-nial in Sorocaba an affluent city justover 100km west of Satildeo Paulo Brazil Another biennial is due to launch inOctober 2015 in Asuncioacuten ParaguayThey join a network of biennials
reaching from Montevideo Uruguayinto Brazil with its four biennialsalong the Andes to Cuenca Ecuadorand up into the Caribbean where the11th Bienal de la Habanamdashactually atriennialmdashtook place in 2012
The shadows of defunct ordormant biennials hover in themarginsmdashUshuaia Santiago LimaMedelliacutenmdashwhile in Salvador thecapital of the Brazilian state of Bahiaa third biennial was staged this yearafter a 46-year hiatus The Bienal
da Bahia began in 1966 only to beabruptly halted in 1968 when themilitary government closed the show
on its second day confiscating 19ldquosubversiverdquo or ldquomorally offensiverdquo works and imprisoning the curators
Juarez Paraiacuteso and Riolan CoutinhoThis yearrsquos Bahia biennial which
ran from May to September featuredsome of the works from the first andsecond events as well as works byartists from more than 20 countries
breaking with the 1968 biennialrsquosfocus on Bahian artistsmdasha controver-sial choice that created a schism atthe time contributing to the deathof the nascent event
ldquoI think internationalism is impor-tant for a biennialrdquo says Alfons Hug
the founding curator of the Bienalde Montevideo (its second editionclosed on 22 November) ldquoIt needsto have a global reach When a bien-nial is fixated purely on the local itrsquosmore like a national salonrdquo Hug whoorganised the Bienal de Satildeo Paulo in
2002 and 2004 has organised a longlist of other biennials and pavilionsincluding Latin American and Bra-zilian pavilions at the Venice Bien-nale and the 2009 Bienal del Fin del
B u s t o f A l e x a n d e r t h e G r e a t R o m a n
E a r l y
I m p e r i a
l c o u r t e s y o
f P h o e n
i x A n c
i e n
t A r t
Park Avenue ArmoryMay 8 - 12 2015
A Fair of Art amp D esign from Antiqui ty
COLLECTING ACROSS CENTURIES
JUXTAPOSITIONS
Held in Satildeo Paulo from 26 to 30November the second WorldBiennial Forum took place inparallel with the cityrsquos art biennial
which closes on Sunday Followingon from the 1047297rst World BiennialForum ldquoShifting Gravityrdquo whichwas held in Gwangju South Koreain 2012 this yearrsquos gathering wascalled ldquoHow to Make Biennials inContemporary Timesrdquo
With a programme developedby the 31st Satildeo Paulo biennialrsquoscuratorial teammdashCharles Esche GalitEilat Nuria Enguita Mayo PabloLafuente Oren Sagiv Luiza Proenccedilaand Benjamin Seroussimdashthe forumldquoquestioned and provokedrdquo the
concept of the biennial focusing onthe ldquoGlobal Southrdquo and in particularon biennials in Dakar IstanbulJakarta and Satildeo Paulo
ldquoWe asked people to take acritical analytical look at biennial
subjects rather than present theirown workrdquo the London-basedcurator Pablo Lafuente says
The forum arose from aconference held in Bergen in 2009to discuss whether or not a biennialshould be created for the Norwegian
city A triennial the Bergen Assemblywas 1047297rst held in 2013
ldquoWe think itrsquos important that thepeople who make biennials thinkabout the history behind themrdquoLafuente says ldquoItrsquos essential to be
rigorous We want to talk aboutthe effects of biennials and whatmakes them possible in terms ofmoney politics and so onmdashwho paysour salariesrdquo
As well as a series of morningworkshops for the representatives
of international biennials four majorsessions were open to the publiccovering the topics of archivesand biennial memory what comesafter national art competitions andthe promotion of cities as touristdestinations education ideology
and exchange and the role of art andartists The forum was co-organisedby Satildeo Paulorsquos Instituto de CulturaContemporacircnea CRy
Forum looks at how tomake a modern biennial
ldquo[Biennials are] a sign of the healthof an economyrdquo
Juan Downeyrsquos Mapa Mundi 1979 (detail)
The Chinese artist Qiu Zhijie workingon Map at this yearrsquos Satildeo Paulobiennial Left the Santander Culturalbuilding in Porto Alegre Brazil
Mundo held at the southernmost
tip of South America in Ushuaia thecapital city of the Argentine provinceTierra del Fuego According to Hug one of the
secret charms of biennials is theirability thanks to a combinationof scale and institutional clout to
occupy antique and historic spacesldquoThere is something about the patinaof old and ruined spaces that suitscontemporary art extremely wellrdquohe says In Latin America Hug saysa wealth of colonial architecture incities like Cuenca Havana Salvador
and Cartagena allows works particu-larly installations and videos to shineIn southern Brazil Curitibarsquos biennialmakes use of some of the ornatemansions once owned by the cityrsquos wealthy ldquomateacute baronsrdquo while in Porto
Alegre where the Bienal do Mercosulis held in odd-numbered years a col-lection of fine Neo-Classical buildingsin the city centre includes the lovelySantander Cultural a former bank
The Satildeo Paulo biennial on theother hand has occupied the vast
Modernist pavilion created by OscarNiemeyer since its fourth edition in1957 This year Oren Sagiv one of thebiennialrsquos curators split the spaceinto three discrete areas in a planthat won approval in the staunchly
conservative Brazilian city wheresome of the other aspects of theexhibition with its assertively polit-ical works have been the subjectof controversy
That innate conservatism hasalso arguably helped to secure the
longevity of the Satildeo Paulo biennial which is second only to Venice Fora biennial to last beyond one two or
three editions Hug says there needsto be a certain cohesion among thebourgeoisie ldquoYou need two or threepeople with some authorityrdquo he saysldquoThat works well in Satildeo Paulo and inPorto Alegre where the local businesscommunity is united and well organ-
ised behind the causerdquoFor Josueacute Mattos the curator of
ldquoFrestasrdquo the new Trienal de Artesin Sorocaba which runs until May2015 the benefits of a systematisedbiennial process can contribute to
a sense that the biennial model isbecoming ldquoexhaustedrdquo He saysldquoThere is a danger at a certain pointthat a long-running biennial canbecome a festival of art for better or worse rather than an event that isconstantly problematisedrdquo What is
required Mattos says is a commit-ment to mobilising groups of artists with whom it might be possible ldquoto
raise questions and to instigaterdquo At the 1981 Bienal de Medelliacuten in
a work that was censored the Colom-bian artist Beatriz Gonzaacutelez made abanner that read ldquoThis biennial is
a luxury that an underdevelopedcountry cannot affordrdquo
ldquoBiennials are synonyms for suc-cessful emerging countriesrdquo Hugsays ldquoYou donrsquot get them in bankruptcountries or in crises you get themin aspiring countries like Uruguay
Brazil and Colombia And in Asiain Singapore China and Korea Itrsquosusually a very good sign of the healthof an economy and of a societyrdquo
ldquoAspiringrdquo is not a term normallyassociated with Paraguay one of South Americarsquos poorest countries But for
Royce Smith the principal curatorand founder of Paraguayrsquos forthcom-ing biennial Asuncioacutenrsquos rawness andpotential make it the perfect host ldquoIthink there is a sense that establishedbiennials have set the goalposts for
the operations of mega-exhibitions what they are how many peopleshould come what lsquoqualityrsquo of artistsshould be includedrdquo Smith says Hecites a comment made to him by theChilean curator Paz Guevara about why the Biennial of the End of the
World existed in remote far-flung Ushuaia ldquoBecause everyone has theright to the contemporaryrdquoClaire Rigby
Tapestry by Josef Albers cour tesy of Vojtech Bl au
through the 21st Century
Tapestry by Josef Albers cour tesy of Vojtech Bl au
through the 21st Century
