Biennale
Encyclopedia
Biennale is Italian
for "every other year" and can be used to describe any event that happens every two years. It is most commonly used within the art world to describe an international manifestation of contemporary art, stemming for the use of the phrase for the Venice Biennale
, which was first held in 1895 (the phrase has since been used for multiple events, as the "Biennale de Paris
", or even as Portmanteau with the Berlin Biennale Berlinale).
The term is most commonly used in the context of major repeating art exhibition
s such as:
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for "every other year" and can be used to describe any event that happens every two years. It is most commonly used within the art world to describe an international manifestation of contemporary art, stemming for the use of the phrase for the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, which was first held in 1895 (the phrase has since been used for multiple events, as the "Biennale de Paris
Biennale de Paris
-History:The 'Biennale de Paris' was launched by Raymond Cogniat in 1959 and set up by André Malraux as he was Minister of Culture to present an overview of young creativity worldwide and to create a place of experiences and meetings.-Presentation:...
", or even as Portmanteau with the Berlin Biennale Berlinale).
The term is most commonly used in the context of major repeating art exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
s such as:
- Arts in Marrakech (AiM) Internaional Biennale (Arts in Marrakech FestivalArts in Marrakech FestivalThe AiM International Biennale first took place in September 2005 It was set up by Vanessa Branson and Abel Damoussi. It is the first major Trilingual festival in North Africa.. It focuses on cutting-edge contemporary Visual art, Literature and Film...
) - Beijing Biennale
- Bucharest BiennaleBucharest BiennaleThe Bucharest Biennale is a contemporary art festival held every two years in Bucharest, Romania. The first Biennale was held in 2005, with the following one held in May-June 2006. From 2006 onwards, the festival will be held every two years...
in Bucharest, Romania - Bushwick Biennial, in Bushwick, BrooklynBushwick, BrooklynBushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood, formerly Brooklyn's 18th Ward, is now part of Brooklyn Community Board 4...
, New York - Chengdu Biennale, in ChengduChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, China - Estuaire (biennale)Estuaire (biennale)Estuaire is a contemporary art exhibition that takes place every two years between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire , France.The first edition is held in 2007 .- External links :*...
, biennale in Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, France - Florence BiennaleFlorence BiennaleThe Florence Biennale is an international contemporary art fair held every two years in the Historical Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy. The Biennale is run by Arte Studio, whose first contemporary art exhibition occurred in 1986. Subsequent exhibits grew, and they eventually formed the first...
- Havana biennialHavana biennialThe Havana Biennial Art Exhibition takes place in Havana every two years, and principally aims at promoting the « Third World » contemporary art...
, in Havana, Cuba - Herzliya BiennialHerzliya BiennialThe Herzliya Biennial of Contemporary Art is an art biennial event held in the city of Herzliya, Israel....
For Contemporary Art, in Herzliya, Israel - Incheon Women Artists' Biennale, in IncheonIncheonThe Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, South Korea - Iowa BiennialIowa BiennialThe Iowa Biennial Exhibition and Archive began in 2004 as an international survey of contemporary miniature printmaking with its initial exhibition held at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Works juried for the exhibition travel for exhibitions within the U.S...
, in Iowa, (USA) - Istanbul BiennialIstanbul BiennialThe International Istanbul Biennial is a contemporary art exhibition, held every two years in Istanbul, Turkey, since 1987. The biennial is organised by the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. The Biennial aims to create a meeting point in İstanbul in the field of visual arts between artists...
, in Istanbul, Turkey - International Roaming Biennial of TehranInternational Roaming Biennial of TehranThe International Roaming Biennial of Tehran is an itinerant multimedia art exhibition.The Biennial is curated and organised by Amir Ali Ghassemi and Serhat Köksal....
, in Tehran and Istanbul - Kortrijk Design Biennale InterieurKortrijk Design Biennale InterieurThe Kortrijk Design Biennale Interieur is a major international design exhibition that takes place once every two years in the Belgian city of Kortrijk. The first Interieur Design Biennale took place in 1968. The Biennale is organised by the Interieur Foundation. Several activities, such as...
, in Kortrijk, Belgium - Kwangju Biennale in Kwangju (also spelled Gwangju), South Korea
- Light Art Biennale AustriaLight Art Biennale Austria 2010The Light Art Biennale Austria 2010 is the first biennale for light art in Austria. About 60 artists from 21 countries and 4 continents participate.- Facts :...
, in Austria - Liverpool BiennialLiverpool BiennialLiverpool Biennial is a British international festival of contemporary art held in Liverpool. The festival comprises the International Exhibition, the John Moores Painting Prize, the Bloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition and the Independents Biennial....
- ManifestaManifestaManifesta, the , is a European pan-regional contemporary cultural biennale, described in 2010 by the as "stunning in its scope and uncompromisingly experimental in its approach".-Manifesta History:...
, European Biennale of contemporary art in different European cities - Melbourne International Biennial 1999Melbourne International Biennial 1999Melbourne International Biennial 1999"Signs of Life" 14 May - 27 June 1999The Melbourne International Biennial was a cultural initiative of the City of Melbourne in partnership with Arts Victoria, Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Ian Potter Museum of Art, the University of...
- Moscow BiennaleMoscow BiennaleThe Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art is one of the most important Russian cultural events and was founded in 2003.- First Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art :...
in Moscow (Russia) - Munich BiennaleMunich BiennaleThe Munich Biennale is an opera festival in the city of Munich. The full German name is Internationales Festival für neues Musiktheater, literally: International Festival for New Music Theater. The biennial festival was created in 1988 by Hans Werner Henze and is held in even-numbered years over...
, new opera and music-theatre in even-numbered years - Biennale de ParisBiennale de Paris-History:The 'Biennale de Paris' was launched by Raymond Cogniat in 1959 and set up by André Malraux as he was Minister of Culture to present an overview of young creativity worldwide and to create a place of experiences and meetings.-Presentation:...
- São Paulo Art BiennialSão Paulo Art BiennialThe São Paulo Art Biennial was founded in 1951 and has been held every two years since. It is the second oldest art biennial in the world after the Venice Biennial , which serves as its role model....
in São Paulo - Shanghai BiennaleShanghai BiennaleThe Shanghai Biennale is the highest-profile contemporary art event in the city and the most established art biennale in China.Aside from its main museum show, it also includes talks, lectures and installations in various venues throughout the city....
- Sharjah biennialSharjah BiennialThe Sharjah Biennial is a celebrated cultural event in the Arab world. It is organised by the Sharjah Art Foundation.-Early days:Since its inception in 1993, the event has formed a cultural bridge between artists, art institutions and organisations locally, regionally and internationally...
- Singapore BiennaleSingapore BiennaleThe Singapore Biennale is a contemporary art biennale in Singapore. The first Singapore Biennale operated as one of a lineup of Singapore 2006 events. Fumio Nanjo, Director of Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, has been reappointed Artistic Director of the Singapore Biennale 2008...
, held in various locations across the city-state island of Singapore - Stourbridge Biennale, the UK's major exhibition of contemporary glass
- Biennale of SydneyBiennale of SydneyThe Biennale of Sydney is an international festival of contemporary art, held every two years in Sydney, Australia. It is the largest and best-attended contemporary visual arts event in the country...
- Venice Biennale, which includes
- Venice BiennaleVenice BiennaleThe Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
of Contemporary Art - Venice Biennale of ArchitectureVenice Biennale of architectureMostra di Architettura di Venezia, the Architecture section of the Venice Biennale, was established in 1980, although architecture had been a part of the art biennale since 1968....
- Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
- Venice Biennale
- Visual Art Biennale, Reunion Island, France
- Whitney BiennialWhitney BiennialThe Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
, hosted by the Whitney Museum of American Art - Music Biennale ZagrebMusic Biennale ZagrebMusic Biennale Zagreb is an international festival of contemporary music in Zagreb, Croatia, organized by the Croatian Composers' Society. The Biennale, founded by Milko Kelemen and held every spring of the odd years since 1961, has become one of the most important festivals of contemporary music...
- Vladivostok biennaleVladivostok biennaleThe Vladivostok Biennale of Visual Arts is an international festival of contemporary and modern visual art, held every two years in Vladivostok, Russia. The first Biennale was held in April, 1998 in Vladivostok. Then there was presented theatre art only, but after that first Biennale there were...
of Visual Arts, in VladivostokVladivostokThe city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...