Seeing in the Dark: The Complexities of Curating Biennials

Seeing in the Dark: The Complexities of Curating Biennials

Why would anyone curate a Biennial in this day and age when the format itself attracts so much criticism? What do Biennials offer in the gamut of representation within a competitive attention economy? Vera Mey and Philippe Pirotte, Co-Artistic Directors of the 2024 Busan Biennale, will discuss the complexities of working on a deeply flawed yet potentially generative format such as a Biennial, in Asia, in a period where traditional platforms for exhibition making in traditional artistic centres appear to be collapsing. They will explore the opportunities for collaboration that Biennials offer, as well as how the symbolic value of presenting art has evolved over the past decade, revealing an often-uncomfortable entanglement between artistic experimentation and the co-option of market forces, and the strategies of various artists for autonomy in an increasingly display-statured world. 

Philippe will recall his experiences curating Biennials and large exhibition formats exhibitions including the 2016 Montreal Biennale, the 2017 Jakarta Biennale, and the commission of Documenta 15, 2022. Vera will discuss her insistence on forms of internationalism in what feels like a turn to localism in exhibitionary practice, drawing upon her research looking at the relationship between art and regionalist solidarity movements across Asia and Africa in the middle of the 20th century, during a period of decolonial upheaval in world history. They are joined in conversation by Karl Chitham, a champion for the arts in New Zealand for twenty years with a specific interest in toi Māori, and currently the Director of the Dowse Art Museum, Head of Arts and Culture for Hutt City. Chairing the conversation will be Aaron Lister, Senior Curator (Toi) at City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi.

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