11th Berlin Biennale online | April and May 2020
| In times of enclosure, we once again return to the stories that our guests and contributors have been sharing with us since autumn 2019. The audio, video, and image documentations can be found in the media section on our website. The performance in words and song on Solidarity by poet and artist Cecilia Vicuña, Sol-y-dar-y-dad [To Give and Give Sun], marked the beginning of our journey. It took place on September 20, 2019, the day of the largest international climate strike to date. At the time, she was asking how people hold and support each other when vulnerable. Now we can hear her again and ask what collective Solidarity can look like in this era of confinement for some and exposure of those most vulnerable. In these times of uncertainty, we slow down and listen anew. |
At this very moment people all over the world are finding different ways of holding on to one another when we can no longer be in proximity. The generosity of these multiple gestures and their expansiveness assures us that despite the diverse calls for lives to be sacrificed to save the economic system, each and every vulnerable body is of value for the collective being that is the world. We do not know when or how we will come out of this or if it will better prepare us for the next crisis. For now, all scenarios are hypothetical.
In September 2019, when the 11th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art inaugurated its temporary space at ExRotaprint with exp. 1: The Bones of the World, our intention as curators was to open up the process and slow down the machinery of a biennial. When the decision to close the doors of this temporary space was communicated several weeks ago we could not foresee what has been happening globally since. We are still bound by many uncertainties, yet for us, keeping our commitments with all our collaborators, our team, our public, our neighbors as well as artists and participants is vital. Taking care of each other is important, particularly because this care is now fundamental, not only for our individual well-being but that of all people at risk, throughout the world, who are facing the gross inequality of exposure, diagnosis, and recovery from the virus of the present.
Although postponing the 11th Berlin Biennale is unavoidable, as curators and as an institution our intention is to ensure that when it can take place, it does in such a way that no one is unnecessarily exposed. This is a time for cultural institutions to reassess the ways they operate and a chance to rethink the ways exhibition-making constitute a space for public encounter, as some practitioners have been doing by politicizing accessibility and healthcare. We are aware that these transformations will be a collective effort that will require everyone to push in many different directions at the same time. In these times of pandemic, we recall the words recently gifted by one woman to another when facing other perils: “Ninguém solta a mão de ninguém” [No one let go of anybody else].
We are currently looking into options for new dates in close cooperation with the Federal Cultural Foundation and the exhibition venues of the 11th Berlin Biennale. We will announce new information as soon as we can. Due to circumstances around the coronavirus pandemic, our temporary space will remain closed until further notice.
UPCOMING:
20.–26.4.2020
fleeting geographies
Seven days with political geographer Sinthujan Varatharajah
11th Berlin Biennale on Instagram
Different modes of storytelling, solidarity, and resistance have been evolving in the digital realm for some time. In a poetic stream of images and texts, Sinthujan Varatharajah explores issues of forced displacement, statelessness, and spatial inequalities, particularly those of Eelam Tamil people. More
29.4.–5.5.2020
Jornadas de Sal entre Cucharas
[Days of Salt, Between Spoons]
Open files and shared experiences by Osías Yanov
11th Berlin Biennale on Instagram
Osías Yanov has created a contribution to the digital space in images and texts to invite us to become immersed in his work and practice. Over the course of seven days, he will open his archives to share glimpses into essays, his research, and experiences. More
PAST
In times of enclosure, we once again return to the stories that our guests and contributors have been sharing with us since autumn 2019. The audio, video, and image documentations can be found in the media section on our website. The performance in words and song on Solidarity by poet and artist Cecilia Vicuña, Sol-y-dar-y-dad [To Give and Give Sun], marked the beginning of our journey. It took place on September 20, 2019, the day of the largest international climate strike to date. At the time, she was asking how people hold and support each other when vulnerable. Now we can hear her again and ask what collective Solidarity can look like in this era of confinement for some and exposure of those most vulnerable. In these times of uncertainty, we slow down and listen anew.
