Bienal do Mercosul

7TH MERCOSUL BIENNIAL 2009

16 Oct - 29 Nov 2009

7TH MERCOSUL BIENNIAL 2009
Grito e Escuta
16 October - 29 November 2009

General curators: Camilo Yáñez and Victoria Noorthoorn

Artists:
Abraham Cruzvillegas, Adrià Juliá, Alejandra Seeber, Ana Gallardo, André Severo, Anna Maria Maiolino, Arnaldo Antunes, Arturo Herrera, Augusto de Campos, Bettina Brizuela, Cabelo, Cadu, Camila Sposati, Chelpa Ferro, Cildo Meireles, Claudia Del Río, Courtney Smith, Cristiano Lenhardt, Cristóbal León, Cristóbal Leyht, Daniel Acosta, Daniela Thomas, Daniele Buetti, Débora Bolsoni, Décio Pignatari, Diana Aisenberg, Diego Fernández, Diego Melero, Edgardo Antonio Vigo, Eduardo Barrera Arambarri, Eduardo Basualdo, Eduardo Navarro, Enrique Aguerre, Fabio Kacero, Fermín Eguía, Francisca García, Francisco de Almeida, François Bucher, Gabriel Sierra, Gilberto Esparza, Glenn Gould, Gonzalo Pedraza, Guilherme Vaz, Henri Michaux, Henrique Oliveira, Hoffmann’s House, Ingrid Wildi, Iran do Espírito Santo, Ivana Vollaro, Jacqueline Lacasa, James Ensor, Janine Antoni, João Modé, Joaquín Cociña, Johanna Calle, John Cage, Jonathas de Andrade, Jorge Caraballo, José Alejandro Restrepo, José Antonio Suárez, José Carlos Martinat, Juan Downey, Júlio Lira, Laura Kuhn, León Ferrari, Lilian Zaremba, Liliana Porter, Linda Matalon, Luisa Duarte, Luiz de Abreu, Magdalena Jitrik, Marcela Armas, Marcellvs L., Márcia X, Márcia Xavier, Maria Helena Bernardes, Maria Lucia Cattani, Mariela Scafati, Mário Peixoto, Marta Minujín, Martín Barea Mattos , Martín Verges Rilla, Mauricio Kagel, Mauro Restiffe, Milton Machado, Nicholas Floc’h, Nicolás París Vélez, Niles Atallah, Nina Lola Bachhuber, Pablo Rivera, Patricio Larrambebere, Paul Ramírez Jonas, Paulo Bruscky, Paulo Nenflídio, Pedro Reyes, Provisorio Permanente, Raquel Garbelotti, Ricardo Basbaum, Ricardo Lanzarini, Ricardo Ventura, Romano, Rosângela Rennó, Rosario Bléfari, Ryan Gander, Samuel Beckett, Sergio De Loof, Tomás Espina, Walmor Corrêa, Walter Smetak, Yun-Fei Ji

The 7th Mercosul Biennial began in March 2008 with the launch of a new selection process for the chief curator. The competition was open to professionals from across the world and received 67 proposals from candidates from more than 20 countries.

The method adopted marked a new stage in the evolution of the Mercosul Biennial, making the selection of the artistic direction more dynamic and transparent. The chosen proposal, by curators Victoria Noorthoorn and Camilo Yáñez, affirmed the meaning and importance of artists as social players and constant producers of necessary critical meaning. The title of this edition, Screaming and Listening, explores multidirectional communication through multiple languages. According to the chief curators, rather than working with a theme, the 7th Mercosul Biennial proposed a series of methodologies and actions demonstrating the diversity of approaches and functions presented by contemporary art: "Screaming and Listening establishes a connecting link between two poles: it stresses the importance of the action (the scream) of the artist producing immediate and effective action with the aim of making an impact and important changes; and it calls on the power of listening, of hearing, to provoke an attitude of reflection, restoring the power of dialogue as a model for constructing a better society", as the curators state in their curatorial text.

The 7th Mercosul Biennial - Screaming and Listening, which took place in Porto Alegre/Brazil from October 16 to November 29 2009, was organised into seven exhibitions, an education programme, a publishing and communication programme, a radio system and a series of cultural programmes taking place throughout the Biennial period both inside and outside the exhibition spaces. 338 artists took part in this edition, from 29 countries such as Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, USA, France, Mexico, Switzerland, United Kingdom Uruguay and Venezuela. Around 60% of the works were produced especially for the Biennial.

The exhibitions were housed in the Quayside Warehouses, Santander Cultural and MARGS - Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul, together with several public spaces in the state capital.

The Education Programme for this edition was devised with an aim of decentralising and expanding the activities. Strong examples of this are the "Practical Maps - available spaces" project, an action with 26 education studios in Porto Alegre, and 40 local artists who opened their doors for group visits and free workshops during the Biennial period. The project offered 144 sessions of 38 different workshops, serving an audience of approximately 1400 people.

Intended for university students and graduates from any subject area, the 7th Mercosul Biennial Mediator-training course trained people to attend visitors during the exhibitions. 200 people and teachers and guests received free training. 164 of these students were selected to work as mediators at the Biennial, together with 12 supervisors and 12 assistant supervisors. The course amounted to 63 hours of classes with the presence of curators and artists. 45 students also received information through the Distance Learning programme. The course was free of charge and comprised practical and theory classes about the different contemporary languages and approaches in the curatorial concept, the conditions of art teaching, training in mediation and attending different audiences, bodily and vocal expression, practical workshops, and meetings with artists and curators.

Another innovation of the 7th Mercosul Biennial Education Programme was the Available Artists Residency Programme, which organised a real artistic marathon in nine regions of Rio Grande do Sul and towns on the Uruguayan border. Porto Alegre, São Leopoldo, Montenegro, Lajeado, Pelotas, Caxias do Sul, Santa Maria, Santana do Livramento, Tavares and Riozinho were the places chosen for 14 artists' projects aimed at promoting an exchange of information between the Biennial and local communities. Around 6,000 people actively participated in the projects.
 

Tags: Daniel Acosta, Jonathas de Andrade, Janine Antoni, Arnaldo Antunes, Ricardo Basbaum, Eduardo Basualdo, Débora Bolsoni, Paulo Bruscky, François Bucher, Daniele Buetti, Cabelo, Cadu, John Cage, Johanna Calle, Walmor Corrêa, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Juan Downey, James Ensor, Tomás Espina, Diego Fernandez, León Ferrari, Chelpa Ferro, Ana Gallardo, Ryan Gander, Raquel Garbelotti, Arturo Herrera, Yun-Fei Ji, Magdalena Jitrik, Paul Ramírez Jonas, Adrià Julià, Fabio Kacero, Marcellvs L., Cristiano Lenhardt, Milton Machado, Anna Maria Maiolino, José Carlos Martinat, Cildo Meireles, Henri Michaux, Marta Minujín, João Modé, Eduardo Navarro, Paulo NenflÍdio, Henrique Oliveira, Nicolas Paris, Liliana Porter, Paul Ramírez-Jonas, Rosângela Rennó, Mauro Restiffe, José Alejandro Restrepo, Pedro Reyes, Iran do Espírito Santo, Gabriel Sierra, Marcia Xavier, Hu Yun