May 23 – June 21, 2008
Being Here. Mapping the Contemporary
The 3rd BUCHAREST BIENNALE- International Biennale for Contemporary Art Bucharest (organized by PAVILION magazine for contemporary art and culture) will take place from May 23 – June 21, 2008, hence reaching its third edition (BB3). In staging contemporary art, BB3 promotes the exchange of ideas and artistic manifestations, operating both locally and globally by fusing not only an international vision of art, but also a trans-cultural exchange, engaging the community and enriching t! he cultural resources of Bucharest. As the capital of the second large st country among the new EU nations, Bucharest enjoys an eclectic urban landscape, in which architectural strata are combined, each of these bearing physical testimonies to historical moments.
The curators of this edition, Jan-Erik Lundstram and Johan Sjastram, have chosen a topic of significant relevance to the contemporary world, characterized by nomadism: "Being here. Topographies of contemporaneity". The choice of topic was based on the spatial experience of our lives, as it is constantly being modified by new forms of perception, enriched by technological innovations and perpetual physical movement, which in turn is experimented on a daily basis.
The theme of BB3 integrates the city in its curatorial project, proposing both a spatial, temporal and itinerant trajectory to the visitor, leading to the discovery of hidden geographies. Romania is the ideal place for exploring new cartographies within the contemporary world, whose configuration has undergone a dramatic change during the last 18 years, ever since the fall of the Berlin wall) The era of globalisation restructures old borders and creates new ones; Romania finds itself in the centre of these processes. The cultural, political and social changes, which take place before our eyes call to be explored, analysed and rendered in an artistic and discursive fashion that is a! ble to exceed reality, by proposing a different vision of our world.&n bsp;
Despite being in a rather introductory stage, the Bucharest Biennale has already positioned itself internationally, and the third edition is expected to express the growing potential of this type of artistic encounter. BB3 questions cartography and proposes a remapping of contemporary art, by extending the art concept towards discursive manifestos with a socio-political impact.
The traditional, spatiotemporal framework is dismantled int! o pieces of a puzzle, demanding an active role on behalf of the public. Hence, the third edition of the Bucharest Biennale will in a physical sense carry the visitors through a series of locations spread out over the city, immersing them in a number of juxtaposed sites throughout the city. An artistic map overlaps the urban map. BB3 transforms space into an artistic field of action. Parallel events (public debates, performance projects, interventions in public spaces, lectures) will unfold between two editions of the Biennale, not only in Bucharest, but also in other Romanian cities. The public debates will call for active participation on behalf of the audience. Meanwhile, the artists in attendance will directly involve the public in their creations. BB3 is interdisciplinary and in a systematic and programmatic way, interdisciplinary, striving for a theoretical and practical approach on another level.
The conception of BB3 is process based, reflecting and commenting on the processes that take place on a global scale. Exploring the intercultural exchange and the participation on a local level within the dynamics of globalisation.
The publications of BB3 strive to delineate all the principles that we have used as orientation points, aiming for the typed object to bear witness to the artistic intervention, to be a theoretical, interdisciplinary reference point and a vehicle for dissemination of the exp! ressed ideas.
The curators of BB3 have selected 38 participants from 21 countries which will produce 44 projects to ilustrate the theme of the biennale:
Kristoffer Ardena (ES/PH)
Lauri Astala (FI)
Milena Bonilla (CO)
Bureau D?€?Etudes (FR)
Renaud Auguste-Dormeuil (FR)
Lukas Einsele (DE)
Buckminster Fuller (USA)
Atlas Linguarum Europae (EUR)
Eduard Freudmann & Can G??lc?? (A)
Lucia Ganieva (RU/NL)
Frances Goodman (ZA)
Hackitectura (ES)
Mona Hatoum (PS/LB/GB)
Brian Holmes (GB)
A shley Hunt (USA)
Karlo-Andrei Ibarra (PR)
Johan J??rnestad (SE)
Emma Kay (GB)
Maria Lantz (SE)
Cezar Lazarescu (RO)
Le Monde Diplom! atique (FR)
Dinu Li (GB/HN)
Armin Linke (DE)
Mikael Lundberg (S)
Bertien van Manen (NL)
Adrian Matei (RO)
Christina McPhee (USA)
Randa Mirza (LB)
Oliver Musovik (MK)
Josh On (USA)
Yoko Ono (USA)
Lia Perjovschi (RO)
Arno Peters (DE)
Sabine Rethore (FR)
Jan Svenungsson (SE/DE)
Adriana Varejao (BR)
Karina Nimmerfall (A)
Arjen Van Susteren (NL)
Each of the locations c hosen for the BB3 are justified by their history, but also by the topographical location. The Geology Museum is important from the perspective of the collection?€?s unique setting, for the publics?€? perception on entering the museum, and its historically emotive atmosphere. The Botanical Garden emphasises socio-political implications, through exposure of the fundamental contrasts between the factory behind the garden, and the garden itself, becoming intervention of public space. Two of the exhibiting galleries, Orizont and Simeza, create a deep bond between the past. Once used for displaying political communist art, the present sees restitution to contemporary art through involved speech. Of the commercial galleries, Feeria – the biggest commercial center in East-Europe -represents the cumulus of consumerism and globalisation to which Bucharest is more than a witness. It is also a space in which the BB3 will introduce contemporary artwork th! at speaks about the topography of identity.
Pavilion Magazine will dedicate a special two-volume issue to the Biennale: firstly a textbook on the subject, including contributions by select authors. Secondly, a document book comprising the documentation from the Biennale. Furthermore, a publication distributed free of charge and published in a single issue will include details on the main exhibition and parallel events, a map of the locations and texts of public interest.
BUCHAREST BIENNALE is produced by PAVILION, contemporary art & culture magazine.
www.bucharestbiennale.org
www.pavilionmagazine.org
www.pilsnerurquell.com
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