A major celebration of local and international art two years in the making will kick off in Coventry this week.
The Coventry Biennial will return with … like a short cut through the brambles on Friday, October 6 across Coventry, Warwickshire and West Midlands venues, exploring humankind's complex relationship with the natural world.
The fourth Biennial showcases the talents of regional, national, and international artists, affirming its commitment to providing a platform for diverse creative voices, while this year addressing the wider themes of the environment and our collective responsibility towards it.
A significant work in this year’s programme is an immersive installation by Can Altay, which has developed with local community groups and academics from the University of Warwick, drawing inspiration from the rich traditions of public water fountains in Ottoman cities including Istanbul.
Vietnamese American artist Dinh Q. Lê will present a powerful multi-screen installation titled The Colony, which transports viewers to the breathtaking Chincha Islands along the Peruvian coast, offering a cinematic journey that captures the islands' rich history.
Warwickshire-based artist Janet Tryner has created a major new installation and sculpture at the Old Grammar School, which examines the impact of housing developments on rural ecosystems through textile, digital processes, and found objects.
Coventry Biennial is held across five exhibition spaces and features the works of 15 diverse artists, as well as offering an array of engaging events and activities throughout the exhibition period.
Notably, the "Critical Curating" event explores the vital role of curatorial practices in museums, galleries, and public spaces, providing a platform for in-depth discussion and exploration.
Ryan Hughes, Artistic Director and CEO of Coventry Biennial said: “It’s a pleasure to have renewed, and built new local partnerships across Coventry, Warwickshire and the whole West Midlands.
“This is perhaps most immediately visible in relation to our exhibition venues, but it’s been impactful to work with galleries and other cultural organisation across the region, we’ve produced amazing projects with Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, Compton Verney in Warwickshire as well as a huge range of smaller community groups across the city.
“It’s also hugely significant that we continue to attract major national and international support from public funders, collections, trusts, foundations and commercial galleries. Of course this contributes to making our work possible, but it also shines a spotlight on the whole region, its cultural institutions and the many brilliant artists that are based in the West Midlands.”
LA-based duo A History of Frogs are presenting a site-responsive installation at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.
A History of Frogs said: “We are very excited to see our work in the context of Coventry and its mediaeval history. We will be showing our new work Goblin City in the undercroft at The Herbert, which could not be a better setting for our work, our crude gesture at a city that could have been or could be some day.”
Caption: Can Altay – Been Waiting for the Rain to Fall (a sebil for Coventry)