Liverpool Biennial 08: Between Biennials. Image: Paul O'Neill

Liverpool Biennial 08: Between Biennials: Short Term Effect or Long-term Results?
Saturday 20 September 2008, The A Foundation

Is it appropriate on the opening day of the Liverpool Biennial www.biennial.com to look at the long-term results of biennials? Or is the primary role of biennials to provide a short-term injection into the bloodstream of art and the city. Can they do both?

Since the expansion and proliferation of biennials in the 90s, can we now begin to detect accumulative benefits within their local arts ecologies? If so, why does criticism focus mainly upon the reception of authored curatorial strategies in an ever-expanding global art world?

Chaired by Paul O’Neill, Situations GWR Research Fellow and organised by Liverpool Biennial and the European Biennial Network www.europeanbiennialnetwork.org in association with Situations, the debate brought together an expert panel of invited international curators, artists, commissioners and writers as well as those responsible for the strategic organisation of the biennials to shed light on the motivations and challenges that lie behind the organisation of biennials, surveying different curatorial models and what connects them to the particular cultural infrastructures of certain cities.

Speakers include Kerstin Bergendal, artist and author of Kunstplan Trekrøner, Denmark; Paul Domela, Programme Director Liverpool Biennial; Annie Fletcher, curator Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Bige Örer, Director, Istanbul Biennial, Turkey; Sally Tallant, Head of Programmes, Serpentine Gallery, London; Renate Wagner, Berlin Biennale, Germany; Augustine Zenakos, founder and co-director Athens Biennial, Greece; Frédérique Gautier, Artistic Coordinator of the Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art; Jan Verwoert, Critic-curator, Curator of Art Sheffield 08 and other members of the EBN in attendance. For further information visit www.biennial.com

This event was organised by the Liverpool Biennial and the European Biennial Network and was supported by the Culture Programme of the European Union.