BUCHAREST BIENNALE 5 - OPENING DAYS
TACTICS FOR THE HERE AND NOW
25 May – 22 July 2012
Preview day for press and professionals: 24 May 2012
Within the current context of the shifting nature of politics, economics, and culture conditions that are increasingly referred to as precarious times - artists often have to negotiate risky positions, contested territories, or situations in which cultural activity interacts with, or provides a counterpoint to, conditions of flux. Bucharest Biennale 5 profiles the work of artists whose agency lies less in overt statements, but rather in investigative or indirect strategies that possess their own kind of power.
By its very nature, work that is investigative expresses a kind of resistance to both the speed and changing nature of things and the increasing sense of instability that pervades everyday life. Several projects in the Biennale involve a reworking of specific histories
from the civic to the personal, producing a different kind of "knowledge" that is not always about nostalgia or narrative, but is rather a deliberately constructed perspective on the contemporary. For some, the act of researching, uncovering, and presenting things that are below the surface has been aided by the Internet, whereby obscure or otherwise concealed data may be sought out, enabling new combinations of imagery and meaning that are open-ended or associative in nature. Whether relating to symbols of former eras, or personal or collective memories, these images are complex representations of past and present - imaginative ‘spaces’ that are characterized by a degree of uncertainty that make them more challenging to decipher.
For other artists in the Biennale, tactics of subterfuge or infiltration are intrinsic to their practice, allowing them to circumvent or negotiate existing systems that they find questionable or challenging. Their methodology reflects a practice that is evolving, dynamic and responsive, something that is essential for situations that change quickly or are not yet fully understood. Often using techniques that rely on the art of seduction or manipulation, these works can still contain sharp social or political critique, merging aesthetics and political and cultural commentary in ways that initially mask underlying meanings.
The deployment of such informal approaches is particularly resonant in a city such as Bucharest, where the infrastructure and contexts for artistic practice are in the process of evolution. BB5’s projects take place in non-profit spaces and public venues and sites in the city, and act as statements and overtures of various kinds, from the critically engaged to the playful in nature. While many projects are situated within these venues which include Pavilion, the Political Research Institute, artist-run space Alert Studio, former factory space Make A Point, the local restaurant Nana, the cinema Union, some magazines and the House of the Free Press, some exist only in the public domain, using existing forms of distribution or presentation outside artistic venues to offer audiences different ways of engaging both with these works and the ideas within the Biennale.
PARTICIPANTS
Abbas Akhavan (IR/CA)
Marina Albu (RO)
Haris Epaminonda (CY/DE)
Klas Eriksson (SE)
Ruth Ewan (UK)
Aurelien Froment (IE/FR)
Ciprian Homorodean (RO/BE)
Iman Issa (EG/USA)
Janice Kerbel (CA/UK)
Jill Magid (USA)
David Maljkovic (HR)
Marina Naprushkina (BY/DE)
Ahmet Ogut (TR/NL)
Vesna Pavlovic (RS)
Anahita Razmi (DE)
Wael Shawky (EG/FR)
Alexandre Singh (FR/USA)
Mounira Al Solh (LB/NL) & Bassam Ramlawi (LB)
Rinus van de Velde (BE)
LOCATIONS / VENUES
Each of the locations chosen for the BB5 are justified by their history, socio-political involvement, but also by the topographical location:
PAVILION - centre for contemporary art and culture (also the BB5 info-point)
Institute for Political Research - University of Bucharest
Make A Point - cultural center
Alert Studio - artist-run space
Casa Presei Libere - the former communist house for press
Cinema Union - movie theatre
Nana - local restaurant
Tabu - women magazine
Zeppelin - architecture magazine
Vice - lifestyle magazine
PUBLICATIONS
PAVILION - journal for politics and culture will dedicate #16 to the biennale. PAVILION #16 will contain contributions by all the artists and texts by Anne Barlow, Eugen Radescu, Stephen Duncombe, Razvan Ion, Suzana Milevska, Sotirios Bahtsetzis, Tom Holert, Olive McKeon, Simon Sheikh, Stefan Voicu and Marius Stan.
A map/guide will be published to be a handy instrument for navigation through the biennale.
The journal and the guide can be ordered as a hard copy or downloaded for free as a PDF, soon, from pavilionjournal.org or bucharestbiennale.org. This can also can be directly purchased from the info-point of BUCHAREST BIENNALE 5.
PARALLEL EVENTS
The Parallel Events are collateral events taking place in the same period as BB5. Our program aims to present a broader view of different aspects of the local cultural scene to the regional, national and international public.
Parallel Events program offers a communication platform for individual artists and interdisciplinary cultural producers who live and work in the region, as well as for local institutions, art organisations and other cultural events. For details please see our website or Facebook page.
EDUCATION AND MEDIATION
Whatever your background or experience level with regard to contemporary art, heritage or art history, BB5 educational programs allows you to engage, participate in the dialogue and broaden your outlook. Join us, together with your friends, family or students, for one of our conversational tours and more.
If you are planning a visit to BB5 with your school, university, community organisation, company, museum association or any other group over 10 persons, then this is the place to be. Be sure to let us know in advance to organize for you a free guided tour. Based on your interests, age and background we will create a personalized program to fit your group.
If you are visiting BB5 by yourself or with a small group, please note that we have volunteers prepared to guide you in every venue. So just ask them for details.
Feel free to contact us for more information or with any requests.
PROGRAM OF THE OPENING DAYS
MAY 24, 2012
11.00 - 12.30
TACTICS FOR THE HERE AND NOW
Press conference for professionals and press
Participants: Anne Barlow - curator of BB5, team of BB5 &
participating artists of BB5
Venue: Hotel Intercontinental - Rapsodia conference hall, 1st floor
Bd. Nicolae Balcescu nr. 4
Metro: Piata Universitatii
13.00 - 19.00
BB5 PREVIEW
All venues will be open exclusively for press and professionals based on accreditation only
21.30 - 22.00
PERFORMANCE
“Com´on you Reds” by Klas Eriksson (SE)
Venue: Public place, in front of the entrance of Intercontinental Hotel, Bd. Nicolae Balcescu nr. 4
Klas Eriksson is a participating artist in BB5
Metro: Piata Universitatii
22.00 - 05.00
OPENING PARTY (invitation only)
Venue: Club Control
Str. Academiei 19, in Pasajul Victoriei
Metro: Piata Universitatii
Opening Party Program
22.30 CHINAWOMAN (invitation only)
LIVE CONCERT/MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
For the first time in Romania
24.00 (invitation only)
Special DJ Stars Line Up: CLIZA vs LEO
MAY 25, 2012
19:00
PERFORMANCE
“Curva Viola” by Klas Eriksson (SE)
Venue: Make a Point, Str. Morarilor nr. 1, Bucharest (inside Postavaria Romana factory).
Metro: Costin Georgian
22.00
PARTY (open entrance)
Informal party to celebrate the artists, the curator of BB5 + our guests and the team of the biennale.
Venue: OTA (the most famous underground artsy place)
Str. Dr. Staicovici nr. 26, Bucharest (no sign on the entrance, enter the garden and in the back downstairs)
Good vibes provided by DJ Pericle
Metro: Eroilor
