What
the devil is the Dublin Biennial?
by
Jim Ricks
24
June 2014
The
second Dublin Biennial International Exhibition of Contemporary Art
closed its 12 day showing on Sunday. Seemingly coming from ‘nowhere’
(i.e. not from the expected channels of arts production and
dissemination) in 2012, it was met by many members of the Visual Arts
community almost universally with condemnation. “It’s a scam”
was the most common reaction. But why?
Actually,
the answer is very simple.
It's
not a Biennial.
Installation view with Guggi's Pots to the left and Andrew Duggan's NAMA Bear to the right.
Yes,
of course it is happening every 2 years, with plans for one in 2016.
And in the literal meaning of the word biennial, like the variety of
plants, it does just that. But Biennial or Biennale (WITH CAPITAL
B’s) is a broader phenomenon in the art world, particularly in the
last 20 (give or take a few) years.
The
Venice Biennale was the first and continues to set the standard and,
to some extent, the definition of a Biennial. Although it is more of
an Olympics format, with individual artists or groups selected for
national representation, ‘competing’ for awards and prestige.
However, the likes of the Berlin Biennial, Istanbul Biennial, Glasgow
International, Manifesta, etc., etc. and now EVA in Limerick are
probably good examples of what the Visual Arts community thinks of
when they hear Biennial: a single, non-commercial, large–scale,
themed, and curated exhibition taking place over multiple venues with
both selected artists and those chosen from an open submission. Other
variations exist: those taking place less or more frequently, or
those in a single venue, like the Whitney Biennial. The other key
aspect of these events is regional and even national cultural cachet.
Chocolate by Conor Walton.
The
Dublin Biennial was founded by its now Director/Curator Maggie Magee.
Using the names ‘The Dublin Biennial 2014’ and the ‘Dublin
Biennial Pop-Up’, this year it was housed in “a 15,000 ft space”
in a few disused shops, ‘slack spaces’ in a shopping centre hit
hard by the recession. Boasting its international credentials, the
website states that “55 Artists were selected to exhibit
representing 21 countries: Australia, Armenia, Brazil, Bolivia,
China, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Iran,
India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, UK, and the
USA.” While the Dublin Biennial did manage a surprising number of
‘big names’ (Nigel Rolfe, Sonia Falcone, Gavin Turk, Rachel
Joynt, Stephen Loughman, Guggi, Meadhbh O’Connor, etc.), it is
doubtless the scale of the exhibition vis-a-vis its showy title
remains problematic.
What
really struck a chord with the Visual Arts community were the entry
and exhibition costs required of participating artists. Keep in mind
that both Dublin City Council and the Department of Arts, Heritage and
the Gaeltacht allocated public funds to around the tune of €10,000
total for this exhibition.
The
application form reads: “Submission fee of €25/$33 is applicable
per artwork entered. Entrance fee of €980/$1350 is applicable per
artist selected to exhibit.” A submission fee is really quite
common practice and is asked regularly of artists, but the “entrance
fee” is quite out of the ordinary.
"It
really was startling to hear the minister celebrate what had been
achieved ‘on a shoestring budget’ when the bulk of the costs had
been passed on to the participating artists.”
i
– Declan
Long, Lecturer at NCAD and Critic
There
are of course rental fees to exhibit in stalls at commercial art
fairs, many charging into the 10’s of thousands. But these are what
they say on the tin: commercial fairs for galleries to sell their
artists' work. The fairs in exchange provide the display space, but
importantly attract the buyers, and press; the footfall. Rental fees
vary dependent on the status and location of the fair. It appears
that in a way, Dublin Biennial is challenging the prevalent market
model by offering its service directly to producers and bypassing the
middle man. I can only conclude that the Dublin Biennial is a small
art fair.
And
that it's not a Biennial.
“The
[Entrance fee] money is obviously a stinker, but what leveraged those
fees was the notion of an international biennial. It exploited the
self-interests of certain artists and it hoodwinked a few
politicians. The real shock for me was in seeing just how
superficially the notion of a biennial was able to be appropriated,
and just how quickly its symbolic capital was rolled-out, revealed as
a turd, and then exhausted.
My fear is that the Dublin
Biennial creates a scorched earth for other attempts to develop
ambitious projects in Dublin with a similar vocabulary (but with a
wish list of being critically-minded, well-budgeted,
internationally-enabling, institutionally-mischievous). There needs
to be another language for all of this. Perhaps that’s where it
starts?”
– Matt
Packer, Curator, CCA Derry
Gavin
Turk's Refuse
I
had the chance to ask Maggie Magee a few questions about the Dublin
Biennial last week.
What
got you personally interested in this project? And in
contemporary art?
I’ll
just dive in with a bit of background: BFA - Painting and Multimedia
at NCAD (a long time ago!); MFA - School of the Art Institute in
Chicago; Film/Video/Performance. I worked in the Film/Video/Motion
Graphic industry in Chicago for many years. Producing a number of
short films and documentaries (including Brian's
Wilson's Smile and Pet Sounds documentaries).
Throughout the ‘film period’ I always painted and exhibited my
works.
Can
you tell us some background on the project? When did you start
working on it? where did the idea come from?
Over
the years I had met numerous international artists who were
interested in exhibiting works in Ireland (as I was myself!) However
there didn't seem to be any venue for ‘unknown’ artists to
exhibit here and gallery rosters were already at capacity. That's
where the idea of a pop-up came from.
I
proceeded to look for funding, unsuccessfully, and then decided to go
ahead on my own. Putting a ‘small group show together’ and
divvying up the cost of participation, the ‘small group show’
soon became 55 artists and that's when the inaugural happened in
2012.
Do
you have relationships or partnerships with other arts organisations
or galleries in Dublin?
Unfortunately
at this point we don't have relationships with other galleries
or organizations in Ireland, it's something that we would like to
foster – and hopeful will after this exhibit.
Where
do you see the Biennial going in the future? Is this something that
you see getting much bigger?
I'd
really like to see the 'Biennial' evolve and become a multi-venue art
festival in Dublin and fostering relationships with other
organizations is key to that growth. And, I believe it will
grow because there is so much enthusiasm and support for the show -
both by the artists and the public. It's encouraging to see so
many people engage with the art – Sonia Falcone's Campo de
Color is the most photographed work in Ireland!
The
Biennial works I believe for a number of reasons... because of the
wide range of works on exhibit, how accessible those works are,
and because the show exists outside the confines of the
'Gallery/Museum' walls. Exhibiting outside the traditional
'art-space' is also something that appealed to a lot
of the participating artists. For instance for Andrew
Duggan, Meadhbh O’Connor, Belinda Loftus, and Sonia Falcone the
opportunity to engage with an audience that wouldn't normally visit a
gallery or museum. Also, the Conversations Series attracts interest,
this year's the conversations are geared to environmental issues.
How
do you see the Biennale in relation to other arts organisations,
festivals, and fairs (Vue at the RHA, Kilkenny Arts Festival,
Eva in Limerick, Tulca in Galway, etc.) in Ireland?
The
Biennial is a 'start-up'/'one-woman' organization so it's difficult
to compare it to more seasoned and funded organizations like the RHA,
EVA, Kilkenny, Tulca – all of which I greatly admire and would
aspire to learn from and perhaps even partner with in the future.
How
is the art collecting scene in Dublin? Do you think that it is
changing? Is the Biennale consciously taking part in this
conversation?
Yes,
I think it is changing. The Biennial doesn't charge a commission and
there's been a lot of interest in works. We've sold some work and
hope to sell more at the Closing/Silent Art Auction this
weekend.
What
about the name itself? It seems to be a sore spot for some
in the art world here. With EVA billing itself now as 'Ireland's
Biennial' and the general assumption that a biennial is something
that is less commercial and more looking towards the international,
curated by a 'big name' across a number of venues or in a massive
space (like Dublin Contemporary), with artists fees and new
commissions, etc... do you see the name Dublin Biennial as a problem?
Is it misleading? Or is it an ambition?
In
terms of the name 'Dublin Biennial', yes I agree it's both
problematic and an ambition with the hope that it will develop
into a multi-venue exhibition or be in a huge space like the
Contemporary. Consider though again what the costs would be
related to that scale of show, and the addition of a ‘big
name’ international curator. As I've said, the basic
concept of the Dublin Biennial was to create a sustainable
international show – one that could become a mainstay in the visual
arts calendar, and a support for art and artists in Ireland.
I
am really hopeful that with the issues raised by the Dublin Biennial
we can move forward with an open dialogue on how to best develop and
present DB16.
Also,
Irish artists and artists resident in Ireland have never paid any
[Entrance] fees.
Hurting by Zhi Xinxin
So,
it's not a Biennial. At least not yet.
"It's
good for Ireland to have new voices coming in... There's space in
Ireland for new ways of doing things, and voices from outside the
systems. Is the Dublin Biennial headline over ambitious? Not if it
grows into it. But can the event keep that position as a new voice
within the conversation if it continues, expands and becomes an
institution itself? I don't know.”
– Gemma
Tipton, Critic
Fair
play to Magee, this is a ‘one-(wo)man band’. It is enterprising
and ambitious, and definitely bold and cheeky. But I think if the
Dublin Biennial is to grow and live up to its aspirations, it should
not remain static. Of course it could stay a small art fair with an
eclectic combination of artists representing themselves. And it can
legally retain its name while it does so. The very real risk here is
that it becomes increasingly marginalised from the Irish and
international contemporary art scenes. And that an unpleasant and
unproductive stand-off takes place. I’d predict also further outcry
and protest by the Visual Arts community and its institutions in this
scenario.
Alternatively,
and what I would love to see, is an earnest effort to grow this dream
of a Dublin Biennial. Connecting into the existing arts
infrastructure in Dublin; a little joined up thinking! I’ve always
wondered why events like EVA and Tulca, events that connect our
existing resources and show them off (also like Visit and Culture
Night on a different scale) couldn’t be grown into a month, or more,
long city-wide Biennial? An exhibition that could potentially be
shown in, and in conjunction with everyone. Combining resources.
The
IMMA’s, The Hugh Lane’s, The National Galleries; and the Temple
Bar Galleries, Project Arts’s, The Douglas Hyde’s; to the Block
T’s, Pallas’s, Basic Space’s, the IMOCA's. A single, non-commercial,
large–scale, themed, and curated exhibition taking place over
multiple venues with both selected artists and those chosen from an
open submission. In Dublin. Every 2 years. Adding up existing
resources and skills. The pay-off is potentially huge for everyone,
without the huge payout. A united Dublin artworld. “Can you count,
suckers? I say, the future is ours... if you can count! Can you dig
it?”**
An
dtuigeann tú?
Sonia
Falcone's Campo di Colore
**
From Cyrus’s speech in The Warriors, (Walter Hill, 1979)
