The 11th Gwangju Biennale 2016
what does art do?
02 Sep - 06 Nov 2016
Artistic director: Maria Lind
The 11th edition of Gwangju Biennale poses a profound question: “What is the essence of art in this age?“
Curated by the curatorial team consisting of the artistic director Maria Lind, curator Binna Choi, and assistant curators Azar Mahmoudian, Margarida Mendes and Michelle Wong, the 2016 Gwangju Biennale directs its attention to artworks and projects while addressing the agency of art in terms of the question, “What does art do?” This year’s exhibit places art center-stage with an emphasis on its projective and imaginative capacities, its connection with the future in midst of daily life and struggles for survival in the present, and how it lands in different contexts throughout society.
The “eighth climate” of the exhibition’s title refers to a state, or inter world, one might reach using imaginative capacities. The notion of the eighth climate dates back to 12th-century Persian mystic and philosopher Sohrevardi, and was elaborated by 20th-century French philosopher Henri Corbin. It is an addition to the seven physical climates of the Earth identified by ancient Greek geographers. Unlike the seven Earthly climates, the eighth climate is not based on a separation of matter and spirit, history and myth; rather, it is ontologically real and has concrete effects. It is characterized by its imaginative qualities and potentiality. In this way, the eighth climate shows interesting parallels with how contemporary art is functioning.
The eighth climate might well resonate with global warming. However, in the context of GB11, the eighth climate helps us explore art’s capacity to say and do something about the future, without either being paralyzed by its prospects or defaulting to established technologies of prediction. The eighth climate evokes art as a seismograph, detecting change before other means of observation, whether the artists are conscious of it or not, allowing for slightly different—and perhaps ambiguous and conflictual perspectives on how art engages with what lies ahead of us. This neither implies art for art’s sake nor a utilitarian approach. It is not about “art for art’s sake” but rather about “art itself.”
Artists:
Adam Pendleton, Ade Darmawan, Adelita Husni-Bey, Agnieszka Polska, Ahmet Öğüt, Aimée Zito Lema, Alma Heikkilä, Amalia Pica, Andrew Norman Wilson, Ane Graff, Ane Hjort Guttu with Daisuke Kosugi, Anicka Yi, Ann Lislegaard, Annie Lai Kuen Wan, Anton Vidokle, Apolonija Šušteršic with Dari Bae, Arseny Zhilyaev, Ayesha Sultana, Azar Alsharif, Babi Badalov, Barbora Kleinhamplová with Tereza Stejskalová, Bernd Krauss, Bik Van der Pol, Bona Park, Céline Condorelli, Christian Nyampeta, Christopher Kulendran Thomas, Claire Barclay, Cooperativa Cráter Invertido, Dale Harding, David Maljkovic, Diogo Evangelista, Dora García, Doug Ashford, Elena Damiani, Emily Roysdon, Eyal Weizman, Fahd Burki, Faivovich & Goldberg, Fernando Garcia-Dory, Flo Kasearu, Goldin+Senneby, Gunilla Klingberg, Hajra Waheed, Hito Steyerl, Hu Yun, Ingela Ihrman, Inseon Park, Iza Tarasewicz, Jasmina Metwaly & Philip Rizk, Jeamin Cha, Jewyo Rhii with Jihyun Jung, José León Cerrillo, Joungmin Yi, Julia Sarisetiati, Katie Paterson, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Lili Reynaud-Dewar, Li Jinghu, Mariana Silva, Marie Kølbæk Iversen, Marie-Louise Ekman, Matias Faldbakken, Metahaven, Michael Beutler, Mika Tajima, Mohammad Salemy, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Munem Wasif, Nabuqi, Nadia Belerique, Natascha Sadr Haghighian with Ashkan Sepahvand, Nazgol Ansarinia, Nicholas Mangan, Osias Yanov, Otobong Nkanga, Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz, Philippe Parreno, Prajakta Potnis, Pratchaya Phinthong, Rana Begum, Raqs Media Collective, Ruth Buchanan, Sachiko Kazama, Saskia Noor van Imhoff, Seola Kim, siren eun young jung, Sojung Jun, Søren Andreasen, Suki Seokyeong Kang, Tania Pérez Córdova, The Otolith Group, Tommy Støckel, Trevor Paglen, Tromarama (Febie Babyrose, Herbert Hans Maruli, Ruddy Hatumena), Tyler Coburn, Walid Raad, Yu Ji, Zhou Tao.
The 11th edition of Gwangju Biennale poses a profound question: “What is the essence of art in this age?“
Curated by the curatorial team consisting of the artistic director Maria Lind, curator Binna Choi, and assistant curators Azar Mahmoudian, Margarida Mendes and Michelle Wong, the 2016 Gwangju Biennale directs its attention to artworks and projects while addressing the agency of art in terms of the question, “What does art do?” This year’s exhibit places art center-stage with an emphasis on its projective and imaginative capacities, its connection with the future in midst of daily life and struggles for survival in the present, and how it lands in different contexts throughout society.
The “eighth climate” of the exhibition’s title refers to a state, or inter world, one might reach using imaginative capacities. The notion of the eighth climate dates back to 12th-century Persian mystic and philosopher Sohrevardi, and was elaborated by 20th-century French philosopher Henri Corbin. It is an addition to the seven physical climates of the Earth identified by ancient Greek geographers. Unlike the seven Earthly climates, the eighth climate is not based on a separation of matter and spirit, history and myth; rather, it is ontologically real and has concrete effects. It is characterized by its imaginative qualities and potentiality. In this way, the eighth climate shows interesting parallels with how contemporary art is functioning.
The eighth climate might well resonate with global warming. However, in the context of GB11, the eighth climate helps us explore art’s capacity to say and do something about the future, without either being paralyzed by its prospects or defaulting to established technologies of prediction. The eighth climate evokes art as a seismograph, detecting change before other means of observation, whether the artists are conscious of it or not, allowing for slightly different—and perhaps ambiguous and conflictual perspectives on how art engages with what lies ahead of us. This neither implies art for art’s sake nor a utilitarian approach. It is not about “art for art’s sake” but rather about “art itself.”
Artists:
Adam Pendleton, Ade Darmawan, Adelita Husni-Bey, Agnieszka Polska, Ahmet Öğüt, Aimée Zito Lema, Alma Heikkilä, Amalia Pica, Andrew Norman Wilson, Ane Graff, Ane Hjort Guttu with Daisuke Kosugi, Anicka Yi, Ann Lislegaard, Annie Lai Kuen Wan, Anton Vidokle, Apolonija Šušteršic with Dari Bae, Arseny Zhilyaev, Ayesha Sultana, Azar Alsharif, Babi Badalov, Barbora Kleinhamplová with Tereza Stejskalová, Bernd Krauss, Bik Van der Pol, Bona Park, Céline Condorelli, Christian Nyampeta, Christopher Kulendran Thomas, Claire Barclay, Cooperativa Cráter Invertido, Dale Harding, David Maljkovic, Diogo Evangelista, Dora García, Doug Ashford, Elena Damiani, Emily Roysdon, Eyal Weizman, Fahd Burki, Faivovich & Goldberg, Fernando Garcia-Dory, Flo Kasearu, Goldin+Senneby, Gunilla Klingberg, Hajra Waheed, Hito Steyerl, Hu Yun, Ingela Ihrman, Inseon Park, Iza Tarasewicz, Jasmina Metwaly & Philip Rizk, Jeamin Cha, Jewyo Rhii with Jihyun Jung, José León Cerrillo, Joungmin Yi, Julia Sarisetiati, Katie Paterson, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Lili Reynaud-Dewar, Li Jinghu, Mariana Silva, Marie Kølbæk Iversen, Marie-Louise Ekman, Matias Faldbakken, Metahaven, Michael Beutler, Mika Tajima, Mohammad Salemy, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Munem Wasif, Nabuqi, Nadia Belerique, Natascha Sadr Haghighian with Ashkan Sepahvand, Nazgol Ansarinia, Nicholas Mangan, Osias Yanov, Otobong Nkanga, Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz, Philippe Parreno, Prajakta Potnis, Pratchaya Phinthong, Rana Begum, Raqs Media Collective, Ruth Buchanan, Sachiko Kazama, Saskia Noor van Imhoff, Seola Kim, siren eun young jung, Sojung Jun, Søren Andreasen, Suki Seokyeong Kang, Tania Pérez Córdova, The Otolith Group, Tommy Støckel, Trevor Paglen, Tromarama (Febie Babyrose, Herbert Hans Maruli, Ruddy Hatumena), Tyler Coburn, Walid Raad, Yu Ji, Zhou Tao.