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Festival of Contemporary art - launching conference, 25th January

On Biennials / Tutto sulle biennali

festival of Contemporary Art

25th January 2009, at 4pm, launching conference at Arte Fiera Art
First Bologna

Art Talks (15/20 mezzanine)

After the success of the first edition, the festival of Contemporary
Art <http://festivalartecontemporanea.it>
 will be back from 17 to 19 April 2009 in Faenza. On Biennials /
Tutto sulle biennali is the title of the second edition which will
take place a few weeks before the inauguration of the Venice Biennale,
run by Daniel Birnbaum, on 7 June 2009.

The members of the scientific committee, Carlos Basualdo, Pier Luigi
Sacco and Angela Vettese, will be on hand to explain the choice of the
theme for the festival programme, which has already received important
initial support.

In 2009, the first festival in the world dedicated to reflection and
comparison regarding the art of today will provide a stage that brings
us closer to the occasion of the most important biennial of all.
Naturally, as an Italian festival – explained Angela Vettese – we
will have a chance to devote ourselves to great exhibitions at the
upcoming edition of the Venice Biennale, which all Italians view as
the leading biennial, especially in terms of time. Therefore the
festival of Contemporary Art will provide an introduction to the
Venice Biennale before its opening to the public at the beginning of
June.

The closeness of the festival to the Biennale will be the starting
point for the analysis of the global phenomenon of so-called
"biennalisation", which has never stopped since the 1990s. The
year 2008, with about 50 exhibitions, will be the most prolific year
yet for biennials. Carlos Basualdo underlines their importance when it
comes to the growth of contemporary art. During the last twenty years,
biennials have quite clearly become fundamentally important for the
production and popularisation of contemporary art. They have been
transformed into special areas where art can be put in touch with the
production of knowledge. The festival of Contemporary Art aims to
provide an in-depth analysis of these exhibitions and their effect on
the understanding of art and its role in contemporary culture.

The festival, starting with the theme of biennials, will touch on all
the themes that establish the trends of contemporary culture, looking
at them from many different points of view. These themes are reflected
in the ever-growing connections between art and society. By now –
observed Pier Luigi Sacco – biennials are becoming events which do
not entirely fit into the system of contemporary art, as they are
increasingly depicted as moments of the global collective imagery.

The festival of Contemporary Art cannot ignore the relationship that
this progressive expansion is creating with society and cultural
audiences, which are now made up of more than just insiders from the
world of contemporary art.

There are about 80 biennials or recurring exhibitions all over the
world. From the most famous ones such as Documenta in Kassel, Tate
Triennial, this year curated by Nicolas Bourriaud, or the American
biennial at the Whitney Museum, to the most distant ones such as Riwaq
(Palestine) and Auckland (New Zealand), to the very new ones, such as
Prospect in New Orleans, run by Dan Cameron or the Brussels Biennial.
We must not forget the Asian biennials, such as Gwangju (South Korea)
which boasted a record 1,640,000 visitor in 1995. Also worth
mentioning are the exhibitions due to be held in 2009 – 2010, such
as Younger than Jesus, dedicated to young people at the New Museum in
New York, or the Denver Biennial.

From the previews of international biennials which will follow the
festival to the meetings dedicated to Le biennali degli artisti
(artists' biennials) – conversations between artists and curators
who have participated in or will be one of the key figures of the
upcoming biennials – the programme of the second edition of the
festival will be characterised by new opportunities to "see"
artworks through the voices of the artists and the key figures of this
system. The festival has confirmed its role as a key opportunity for
reflection on international contemporary art, open to an
ever-increasing public of enthusiasts.

Among the scheduled events for this year there are Le biennali dei
curatori (curators' biennials) itineraries which aim to provide a
reinterpretation of exhibitions with those who create them.
International curators and artists will also fascinate the public with
Dentro l'opera (Inside the work), a journey of discovery regarding
the most beautiful works from biennials all over the world, between
the secrets and emotions of contemporary art, which will provide a lot
of surprises for the public.

There will also be opportunities for debate involving representatives
from museums and foundations of international importance, as well as
entrepreneurs, communicators, and journalists. The same will occur for
the meetings dedicated to the Contaminazioni (Contaminations) between
art and similar sectors, with the intervention of celebrities from the
worlds of fashion, design and architecture, as in the 2008 edition.

For further information:

www.festivalartecontemporanea.it
<http://festivalartecontemporanea.it>

info@festivalartecontemporanea.it

Tel: +39 051 220080

Press Office:

Maddalena Bonicelli – Communications Manager

Tel: +39 051 220080, Mobile: +39 335 6857707, Email: mb@good-will.it

Santa Nastro – Media Relations

Tel: +39 051 220080, Mobile: +39 329 5794324, Email: sn@good-will.it

press@festivalartecontemporanea.it