Introducing IBA Conversations

Representing a growing community of biennials across the globe, the International Biennial Association (IBA) has always put at the core of its mission the creation of a space for dialogue between its members and to become a vehicle for institutional cooperation and solidarity in times of need. In a historical moment in which the pandemic has greatly reduced our possibilities to travel and many of our members are facing a harsh financial and political backlash against culture and liberal thought worldwide, it is more important than ever to hold true to these principles.

After our 7th General Assembly held for the first time in the virtual space and thanks to the many important issues that were raised in this occasion by our members, we felt the need to find positive and proactive ways to allow these to be discussed in further detail. We also realised the pressing need for this dialogue to happen in a safe space rather than in the public domain to allow a frank and productive discussion that can lead to concrete steps and actions we can take as an association through our constituency to foster positive change within the biennial model itself.

We are therefore extremely happy to announce a series of talks for our members (including prospective ones) to discuss the most pressing themes that emerged from the 7th General Assembly. These include but are not limited to solidarity & care, regional alliances, the role of artist initiatives, working with the digital divide, audiences and localities. For each occasion we will invite biennials or individuals, selected by our Programming Committee, who have recently been involved in the staging of biennials to introduce us to the theme through an account of their own experiences. Following this, we will give as much space necessary to our members to share their own perspective in order to imagine practical solutions or proposals to foster good practices by our institutions.

In the first of our CONVERSATIONS, taking place on February 26th at 2pm GMT we will host Róna Kopeczky, co-organiser and curator of OFF.Biennale Budapest, and Wato Tsereteli, Founder and director of Tbilisi Triennial, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of regional solidarity and cooperation in regions that have witnessed a high degree of instability and conflict. Róna Kopeczky through OFF.Biennial – Budapest has recently been involved in the creation of EEBA, a network of East-European Biennial in response to the growing right-wing populism in the region and a consequent attack on cultural institutions. Wato Tsereteli and the Tbilisi Triennial have participated in a regional program for cultural dialogue involving Georgian, Armenian and Azeri institutions which was partially interrupted as a consequence of the military conflict in early October.

Those who are interested in joining are asked to register here.

In order for a genuine and frank discussion to take place and due to the sensitivity of some of the subjects to be covered, these events will have limited availability with priority to be given to current members of IBA and those who are interested in joining.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@biennialassociation.org.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

Photo Credit: Viktória Balogh

Róna Kopeczky (1983) is a curator and art historian based in Budapest. She worked as a curator for international art in Ludwig Museum Budapest between 2006 and 2015, where she mostly focussed on the site- and situation specific practices of young and mid-career artists from the Central Eastern European region. In 2015, she joined acb Gallery in Budapest as artistic director, and also actively contributes to the publishing activity of acb Research Lab, with a focus on forgotten, neglected or ignored oeuvres of the Hungarian neo-avant-garde art. She participated in the organization of the first OFF-Biennále Budapest that took place in 2015 and was a member of the curatorial team for its second edition held in Fall 2017. She is the co-founder of Easttopics, a platform and hub dedicated to contemporary art of Central Eastern Europe that is based in Budapest. She is also the curator of the next edition of the Tallinn Print Triennial, scheduled to open in early 2022 in Tallinn, Estonia. She completed her PhD in Art History in 2013 at Sorbonne University.

https://www.easttopics.com
https://www.facebook.com/easttopics
https://www.instagram.com/easttopics

Photo Credit: Tina Bepperling

Wato Tsereteli is an artist, curator, and creative administrator. He studied film in Tbilisi and obtained an MA from the Department of Photography at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp (Belgium). In 2010, he established the Center of Contemporary Art Tbilisi—an institution that occupies abandoned places in the city and transforms them into zones of urban creativity. In 2012, Tsereteli initiated the Tbilisi Triennial—a long-term project focused on education and research into self-organized and independent art practices worldwide. Tsereteli’s artistic works are two, three, and four-dimensional objects with well-structured spatial organization, while his larger initiatives recreate public and private spaces into artistic and social settings.

https://www.cca.ge/en
https://www.facebook.com/CCA.Tbilisi
https://en.everybodywiki.com/Creative_Mediation