Biennials

There are many biennials around the world. I have been lucky enough to have visited two - the Biennale Di Venezia and The Liverpool Biennial. Biennials are often brought into cities as a means of regeneration, attracting tourism and revenue. The Liverpool biennial was initiated in 1999 and contributed to the accolade of European Capital of Culture 2008. The Liverpool Biennial was devised as a ‘collaborative model for engaging art, people and place’ and claims to bring ‘art that is challenging, uncompromising and free thinking’. I would definitely agree that our local biennial achieves this. Pieces such as Ai Wei Wei’s ‘Web of Light’ 2008, A-APE’s ‘VisableVirals’ 2010 and Cristina Lucas’ ‘Touch and Go’ 2010 break out from the conventional gallery settings and move into the public view. ‘Web of Light’ was art as a spectacle, an innovative new form of art to attract and engage the tourist. ‘Visible Virals’ were art in the public realm, regenerating the city landscape and involving the people of Liverpool and its visitors and ‘Touch and Go’ again built on the fabric of the city, making visitors aware of its economic history but also making them politically aware. This aspect of Biennials is something I feel is very important for the progression of the art world. It gives a chance for innovative art to advance and also generates a festival form of art, which attracts and involves people.

However the Liverpool Biennial follows the conventional rules more than the Biennale Di Venezia. The rigidity of the Giardini exhibition area in Venice means that the biennale is more static rather than engaging the general public.

In my opinion the Liverpool Biennial is more successful because it infiltrates the public awareness more, not relying on national kudos but involving a truly international audience.

I have enjoyed exploring this year’s biennial, and have found it an invaluable resource. I feel that by having such close contact with an event such as this helps you understand and appreciate the art more, and helps you to relate/ link works that you might have missed otherwise.