Brussels Biennial
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Brussels will host every two years an international art exhibition with the Brussels Biennial of Contemporary Art, which kicks off in 2007. Located in Europe’s multilingual and multicultural capital it is placed at the center of Europe’s political changes and holds an exceptional position within the international network of biennials. The first edition of the Brussels Biennial, curated by Anselm Franke, Katerina Gregos, and Barbara Vanderlinden is linked to the complex ideas of de jure and de facto (legal and informal) boundaries, as well as the implications of the colonial and ideological roots of ‘Fortress Europe’ on the one hand, and its effects on the other. The project departs from the active involvement of the artists within the new European reality. Although the biennial’s exhibition has an essentially public character, it also has an inner forum in which curators, artists, critics, partners, sponsors, and promoters work in a process of reflection to provide diverse, yet valuable, perspectives on the current developments in contemporary art.
[edit] Brief history
In 2006 the independent curator Barbara Vanderlinden took the initiative for a biennial of contemporary art in Brussels. Brussels has become to an increasing extent an important centre where international powers tie up together and where international artists collaborate and live. The idea was to unite this potential and the international developments in contemporary art from the entire world on a biennial basis in Brussels. The idea was received with great enthusiasm from the sector and the support that has been desired for has been mobilized. On May 15, 2006 a non-for-profit association was established by a group of leading figures from the art world.
