Being Here. Mapping the Contemporary
Curated by Jan-Erik Lundström & Johan Sjöström
Directed by Razvan Ion & Eugen Radescu
May 23 – June 21, 2008
Opening: May 22, 2008
As the capital of the second largest 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 Lundström and Johan Sjöström, have chosen a topic of significant relevance to the contemporary world: “Being Here. Mapping the Contemporary”.
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 able to exceed reality, by proposing a different vision of our world.
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 into 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 around the main frame.
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 curators of BB3 have selected 38 participants from 21 countries which will produce 44 projects to ilustrate the themefor the topic of the biennale:
Kristoffer Ardeña (ES/PH)
Lauri Astala (FI)
Milena Bonilla (CO)
Bureau D’Études (FR)
Renaud Auguste-Dormeuil (FR)
Lukas Einsele (DE)
Buckminster Fuller (USA)
Atlas Linguarum Europae (EUR)
Eduard Freudmann & Can Gülcü & Lorenz Aggermann (A)
Lucia Ganieva (RU/NL)
Frances Goodman (ZA)
hackitectura.net (ES)
Mona Hatoum (PS/LB/GB)
Brian Holmes (FR/GB)
Ashley Hunt (USA)
Karlo-Andrei Ibarra (PR)
Johan Jarnestad (SE)
Emma Kay (GB)
Maria Lantz (SE)
Cezar Lazarescu (RO)
Philippe Rekacewicz/Le Monde Diplomatique (FR)
Dinu Li (GB/HN)
Armin Linke (IT)
Mikael Lundberg (SE)
Bertien van Manen (NL)
Adrian Matei (RO)
Christina McPhee (USA)
Randa Mirza (LB)
Oliver Musovik (MK)
Karina Nimmerfall (A)
Josh On (USA)
Yoko Ono (USA)
Lia Perjovschi (RO)
Arno Peters (DE)
Sabine Réthoré (FR)
Arjen Van Susteren (NL)
Jan Svenungsson (SE)
Adriana Varejão (BR)
Each of the locations chosen for the BB3 are justified by their history, socio-political involvement, but also by the topographical location: The Geology Museum, galleries Orizont and Simeza, shopping gallery Feeria and Pavilion Unicredit Center for Contemporary Art & Culture.
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 expressed ideas.
Pavilion Magazine will dedicate a special two-volume issue to the Biennale: firstly, a textbook on the subject, including contributions by selected authors. Secondly, a documentation book, comprising the documentation from the BB3. 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. Also, in conjuction with BB3 Onestar Press Paris will publish three artist books.
For more details, the concept, and the parallel events please visit: www.bucharestbiennale.org
Proudly sponsored by PILSNER URQUELL
Produced by PAVILION, contemporary art & culture magazine.
Strategic Partner: Unicredit Tiriac Bank
Financial suporter: Absolut
Partners: BildMuseet, Update Adv, IFA, AFCN, Frame, Romanian Cultural Institute, Rumanska Kulturinstituet Stockholm, ADBK, Mondriaan foundation, Post Conceptual Art Practices, National Muzeum of Geology, UAP, German Embassy Bucharest, French Cultural Institute, British Council.
Media partners: Springerin, Mute, Framework, Cabinet, Hotnews.ro, Alternativ.ro,Tabu, ArtNowOnline.com, Sensiblu, Romania Libera, 22, Radio Guerrila, Cotidianul, Oops Media.
More details at: www.bucharestbiennale.org
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Ph./fax: +4 031 103 4131
E-mail: bb3@pavilionmagazine.org
Address:PO Box 26-0390 Bucharest 014800 Romania
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