Moscow Biennale

State Historical Museum (former Lenin Museum), Moscow

The 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

The First Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (January 28–February 28, 2005) caused great response both in Russia and abroad. The main exhibition “Dialectics of Hope” included projects by 41 artists from 22 countries and represented art that focuses on one of the most fundamental experiences of a modern human being: hope. The main project was realised at the former Lenin Museum, near the Red Square. The Biennale’s special projects and parallel program numbered over 50 exhibitions of Russian actual art as well as European, American and Asian visual artists. Curators (main project): Joseph Backstein, Daniel Birnbaum, Iara Boubnova, Nicolas Bourriaud, Rosa Martinez, Hans Ulrich Obrist.

Second Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art

The main project of the Second Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (March 1 – April 1, 2007) titled “FOOTNOTES on Geopolitics, Market and Amnesia” showed works of 115 artists from 20 countries. Different curators and curatorial teams realized 5 exhibitions of the main project united by one theme. The project featured the exhibitions organized at various venues including The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow Contemporary Art Center Winzavod, Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

Moscow-City, Federation Tower

Exhibitions of the main project:

• Nothing but Footnotes? Art in the Epoch of Social Darwinism, Moscow-City, Federation Tower. Curator: Joseph Backstein. Artists: Viktor Alimpiev, Bigert and Bergstrom, Kerstin Cmelka, Keren Cytter, Federico Herrero, Garry Hill, Liu Jianhua, Amal Kenawy, Mikhail Kosolapov, Melvin Moti, Donna Ong, Joseph Robakowski, Michael Sailstorfer, Natalia Struchkova, Ilya Trushevsky.
• USA: American video art at the beginning of the 3rd Millennium, Shopping centre TsUM. Curators: Daniel Birnbaum, Gunnar B. Kvaran, Hans Ulrich Obrist. Artists: Allora & Calzadilla, Julieta Aranda, Edgar Arceneaux, Jennifer Bornstein, Mike Bouchet, Xavier Cha, Paul Chan, Ben Coonley, Bernadette Corporation, Sean Dack, Trisha Donnelly, Piero Golia, Wynne Greenwood k8 Hardy, Christian Holstad, Shane Huffman, Jiae Hwang, Matthew Day Jackson, Miranda July, Laleh Khorramian, Klara Lidén, Kalup Linzy, Nate Lowman, Daria Martin, Matt McCormick, Rodney McMillian, Ohad Meromi, Kori Newkirk, Otolith Group, Seth Price, Adam Putnam, Sterling Ruby, Aïda Ruilova, Paul Sietsema, Catherine Sullivan, Mika Tajima, TM Sisters, Mario Garcia Torres, Kon Trubkovich, Jordan Wolfson, Mario Ybarra Jr., Aaron Young.
• History in present tense. Moscow-City, Federation Tower. Curator: Iara Boubnova. Artists: Artur Zmijewski, Dan Perjovschi, Nedko Solakov, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Carsten Nicolai, Kutlug Ataman, Anri Sala, Biljana Djurdjevic, Aidan Salakhova, Diana Machulina, Maja Bajevic
• Stock Zero, Or The Icy Water Of Egoistical Calculation, Moscow-City, Federation Tower. Curator: Nicolas Bourriaud. Artists: Peter Coffin, Loris Greaud, Kendell Geers, Jonathan Hernandez, Josephine Meckseper, Flavia Muller Medeiros, Gianni Motti, Elena Nemkova, Ester Partegàs, Daniel Pflumm, Franck Scurti, Meredyth Sparks, Simon Starling, Superflex (Rasmus Nielsen, Jakob Fenger and Bjørnstjerne Christiansen), Barthelemy Toguo, Johannes Wohnseifer, Carey Young.
• After all. Moscow-City, Federation Tower, State Schusev Museum of Architecture. Curators: Fulya Erdemci and Rosa Martinez. Artists: Lida Abdul, Narda Alvarado, Shoja Azari, Sergey Bratkov, Olga Chernysheva, Elmgreen and Dragset, Carmela Gross, Barnaby Hosking, John Kormeling, Yuri Leiderman, Gianni Motti, Taller de Serigrafia, Javier Tellez, Sarkis, El Perro, Fusun Onur, Ana Mendieta

Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art

Garage Center of Contemporary Culture, Moscow

The commissioner of the Biennale was Joseph Backstein. The exhibition program of the Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (September 24 - November 1, 2009) featured main project "Against exclusion" and more than 39 special projects and 7 special guests shows.

Main project "Against exclusion"

The main project of Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art entitled "Against exclusion" (curator Jean-Hubert Martin, best known for his exhibition "Magiciens de la terre" at the Centre Pompidou, Paris, 1989) was held at the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture and was presenting artists from Russia, Europe, USA, Asia, South America, Africa and Oceania. French curator Jean-Hubert Martin mixed the work of well-known contemporary western artists with non-western and non-professional artists. He was assisted by French Curator Oliver Varenne.

Sculpture/Fountain by Julius Popp at the 3rd Moscow Biennale

Artists: Marina Abramovic, AES+F, Aji V.N., Yury Albert, Ghada Amer, El Anatsui, Yoshita Azuma, José Bedia, Michel Blazy, Blue Noses, Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, Alexander Brodsky, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Berlinde de Bruyckere, Christoph Büchel, Chéri Chérin, Chéri Samba, Sheba Chhachhi, Ivan Chuikov, Tony Cragg, Stephen Dean, Wim Delvoye, Braco Dimitrijevic, Atul Dodiya, Anita Dube, Gloria Friedmann, Dmitry Gutov, Fiona Hall, Aspassio Haronitaki, Romuald Hazoumé, Leni Hoffmann, Huang Yong Ping, Jean-Olivier Hucleux, Alfredo Jaar, Anish Kapoor, William Kentridge, Kimsooja, Valery Koshlyakov, Agatoak Ronny Kowspi, Juul Kraijer, Samuel Kane Kwei, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Alexander Lobanov, Heinz Mack, Esther Mahlangu, Djambawa Marawili, Erina Matsui, Annette Messager, Vik Muniz, Doreen Reid Nakamarra, Anatoly Osmolovsky, Mike Parr, Pavel Pepperstein, Julius Popp, Markus Raetz, Ravinder G Reddy, Reynold Reynolds, Claude Rutault, Conrad Shawcross, Chiharu Shiota, Yinka Shonibare, Jason Shulman, Roman Signer, Haim Sokol, Gerda Steiner & Jörg Lenzlinger, Sun Yuan & Peng Yu, Wolfgang Tillmans, Cyprien Tokoudagba, Dmitry Tsvetkov, Tunga, Spencer Tunick, Koen Vanmechelen, Stanislav Volyazlovsky, Regina Pilawuk Wilson, Nawurapu Wunungmurra, Erwin Wurm, Soichi Yamaguchi, Yang Jiechang.

Special guests shows

Red October chocolate factory

The Special Guest program represent personal exhibitions of the important figures of the modern art scene.

• Olga Chernysheva, Russia. "Present - Past", Baibakov Art Projects, Red October (former chocolate factory)
• Antony Gormley , Great Britain. "Domain Field", The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture (July 16 – September 2, 2009)
• Michail Grobman, Israel. "The Metamorphoses of Collage", Moscow Museum of Modern Art
• Bertrand Lavier, France. AFTERMOON
• Atelier Van Lieshout, Netherlands. "Slave City", Moscow Contemporary Art Center WINZAVOD
• Vladimir Tarasov, Russia. "Sound Games", Multimedia Art Museum
• Luc Tuymans, Belgium. "Against the Day", Baibakov Art Projects, Red October (former chocolate factory)

Special projects

40 lives of one space, Red October. Artists: Lara Almarcegui, Ilya Budraitskis, Cyprien Gaillard, Aleksandra Galkina, Arseny Zhilyaev, Jiri Kovanda, David Ter-Oganyan American Communists in Moscow, Walking Tours Art Digital 6: The Others, M'ARS Art on Site, National Centre for Contemporary Arts. Artists: Benjamin Bergmann, Via Lewandowsky, Agnes Meyer-Brandis, Claudia Schmacke, Robert Scheipner, Empfangshalle. Art or Death Society of Artists, Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Artists: Nikolai Konstantinov, Valery Koshlyakov, Alexander Sigutin, Vasily Slepchenko, Avdei Ter-Oganyan, Yuri Shabelnikov Brutally Yours By Hook or by Crook, PROEKT_FABRIKA. Artists: Nikita Alexeev, Yury Albert, Sergei Vorontsov, Ignat Daniltsev, Konstantin Zvezdochetov, Andrei Kuzkin, Georgy Litichevsky, Viktor Skersis, Vitas Stasunas, Irina Shteinberg, Sergei Shutov Capitalism as Religion, The State Central Museum for Contemporary History of Russia Dormitory District, Volzhskaya metro station Drumpainting, Moscow Contemporary Art Center WINZAVOD, Atelier №2 Gallery Evolution Haute Couture. Art and Science in the Post-Biological Age. LABORATORIA Art&Science Space Face. Image. Time. EKATERINA Cultural Foundation Feedbacks. WINZAVOD Contemporary art center Focus on Korea. M'ARS, Tsereteli Art Gallery.

Genaration Z. Investment in Art Club Gastarbeiters of Spirit. PROEKT_FABRIKA Christoph Broich: The girl who sold her soul to the Devil and won. Spiridonov House Interpreting Object in the Moscow Conceptual School. PROEKT_FABRIKA. Artists: Yury Albert, Nikita Alekseev, "Champions of the World" Group, Igor Chatskin, Ivan Chuikov, Maria Chuikova, "Collective Actions" Group, Andrei Filippov, Rimma Gerlovina, "Inspection Medical Hermeneutics" Group, Ilya Kabakov, Georgy Kizevalter, Maria Konstantinova, Igor Makarevich, Adnrei Monastirsky, Nikolai Panitkov, "Peppers" Group, Viktor Pivovarov, Dmitry Aleksandrovich Prigov, "SZ" Group, Sergei Volkov, Vadim Zakharov Kudymkor – Engine of the Future. WINZAVOD, Proun Gallery Labors Movement. PROEKT_FABRIKA. Artists: Arseny Zhilyaev, Egor Koshelev, Nikolai Polissky, Valery Rivan, Ilya Trushevsky, Andrei Filippov M'ARTian Fields. M'ARS 'Spatial Liturgy. Curator: Oleg Kulik. TsUM Moscow Time - homage to Dmitry Prigov. Rudomino State Library for Foreign Literature New Old Cold War. Red October. Artists: Vadim Fishkin, IRWIN, Pavel Kopriva, Irina Korina, Alexei Kostroma, Diana Machulina, Igor Muchin, Marina Naprushkina, Deimantas Narkevicius, Boris Orlov, Pavel Pepperstain, Dan Perjovschi, REP Group, Joanne Richardson, Haim Sokol, Mladen Stilinovic, Stas Shuripa, Piotr Wyrzykowski, Arseniy Zhilyaev

Not Toys, The State Tretyakov Gallery Perspective Machine. BAIBAKOV art projects, Red October Place. Time... Boris Mikhailov. Curator: Olga Sviblova Red - Red, Red October. Artists: Yury Vassiliev, Carl Michael von Hausswolff Russian Povera, Red October. Curator: Marat Guelman Second Dialog. Tsereteli Art Gallery Show and Tell. An Artist and His Model. Stella Art Foundation. Artists: Yuri Albert, Andrey Philippov, Victor Skersis The Situation. Gallery on Solyanka Revolution per Minute, Red October Swedish Family. Moscow Museum of Modern Art Thomas Joshua Cooper and Bill Fontana, GMG Gallery Ultra-New Materiality. Moscow Museum of Modern Art Video Notes, Moscow International Performing Arts Center Vulnerability, RSUH Museum center Wall Bars. Hand-Walker Sculpture. Moscow Museum of Modern Art Wonder World. Expecting a restless future. EKATERINA Cultural Foundation. Artists: Botto&Bruno, Michael Fliri, Anastasia Khoroshilova, Joan Leandre, Brian McKee, Thomas Wrede, Danwen Xing Workshop of Feminine Creation. Moscow Museum of Modern Art

Parallel program

20 MODERN CLASSICS. Artists: Tim Noble and Sue Webster. Triumph Gallery Alexander Brodsky. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE ATTACK. WINZAVOD Alexander Sokolov: ALL INCLUSIVE. Zverev Center of Contemporary Art POPULAR ASTRONOMY. Alexandra Paperno. Moscow Museum of Modern Art RETROSPECTIVE. Aleksandras Macijauskas. The Lumiere Brothers Photogallery ALL SEWN UP. Maria Arendt. The State Literary Museum APARTMENT DREAMS. One Spectator’s Gallery ART CONSTRUCTION. Praktika Theater ARTIST AND MODEL II. Grigoriy Mayofis, pop/off/art Gallery BALAKLAVSKY DRIVE, Sergey Bratkov, Regina Gallery CHAMBER: SOLITARY CONFIGNMENT. Vitaly Pushnitsky. RuArts Gallery CRAZY FINNS. Artists: Kim Simonsson, Kari Juutilainen. State Museum of Alexander Pushkin THE CRITERION SLUM: THE UNIVERSE OF PET UTOPIAS. Design center ARTPLAY DARIA DOSTAL. FOTODELIKA. MOSCOW. Daria Dostal. State Museum of Contemporary Arts of the Russian Academy of Arts DEAD SOULS. Artists: Konstantin Zvezdochetov, Vladimir Dubossarsky, Gor Chakhal, Sergey Volkov, Maria Konstantinova, Nikolay Kozlov, Elena Elagina, Igor Makarevich, Vera Khlebnikova, Boris Matrosov, Arkady Nassonov, Pavel Pepperstein, Nikolay Panitkov, Victor Skersis, Vitas Stasyunas, Andey Fillipov, Maria Chuikova, Sergey Shutov, Andrey Monastyrsky, Irina Nakhova, Konstantin Batynkov, Vadim Zakharov, Irina Korina, Alexey Shulgin, Nikita Alexeev, Boris Stuchebrukov, Sergey Mironenko, Vyacheslav I. Koleychuk, Yury Leiderman, Olga Chernysheva, Yury Albert, Alexander Brodsky, Dmitry Gutov, Vladislav Efimov, 4th Height Group, Alexander Kosolapov, Maxim Ksuta, Nikola Ovchinnikov, Muriel Rousseau, Alexander Petrelli, Sergey Shekhovtsov, Stas Shuripa, Alexei Shulgin. The State Literary Museum DESKTOP. WAR AND PEACE. Dmitriy Shorin. STATEMENTORS of NEW ART. Serge Golovach. Fine Art Gallery THE DIALOG. Dmitry Alexeev and Alexey Lokhov. Kino Gallery Diez +: Arte contemporáneo español en los Premios ABC. Instituto Cervantes de Moscu DISCONNECTED. Irina Nakhova, Lisa Schmitz. Open Gallery DON’T WORRY. Artists: Vladimir Grig, MAKE, Anastasia Yashina, Yana Lande, Dasha Fursei, Alla Nekhaichik, Eduard Yashin. Vostochnaya gallery DOT COMMA. Moscow Museum of Modern Art DREAMS OF VERA PAVLOVNA. Annouchka Brochet. The State Literary Museum THE ELEMENTS. Sergey Mironenko. Aidan Gallery FLOWERS. Dmitry Bulnygin. PROEKT_FABRIKA GENIUS LOCI: THE GALLERY. Igor Bitman, Nadezhda Busheneva, Alina Gutkina, Arseny Zhilyaev, Natalia Zintsova, Timofey Karaffa-Korbut, Andrey Kuzkin, Taus Mackhacheva, Sergey Ogurtsov, Anna Orekhova, Olga Puzanova, Alexander Povzner, Khaim Sokol, Ksenia Sorokina, Alexandra Sukhareva, Anna Titova, Valentin Tkach, Anastasia Yuon, «3art project» (Alexey Podkidyshev, Igor Chirkin). Ravenscourt Galleries GERBMIRA & MARIPOSA. Ivan Surikov. Kino Gallery

HERE AND NOW. Vitaly Pushnitsky. PROEKT_FABRIKA K.U.B (Concept of Eternal Universe), part 2. Alena Anosova. Russian Academy of Arts LET ME THINK. Artists: Aleksandr Povzner, Taus Makhacheva, Par Darrel, Michael Tolmachev, Veronika Rudjeva-Rayzanzeva, Alfred Boman, Dmitriy Teselkin, Tatiana Sherstuk, Denis Mustafin, Berglind Jóna Hlýnsdottir, Kirill Gluszhenko, Uliya Ivashkina, Otto Mogren, Nadezhda Busheneva, Artur Shuraev, Ustina Yakovleva, Olga Mayorova, Vadim Grabkov, Sergey Sapozhnikov, Roman Ass, Nedda Al-Madani. Red October LIQUID SKY. Artists: Vika Begalskaya and Vasiliy Antonyuk. PROEKT_FABRIKA М. Artists: Anna Russova, Maria Potapenkova, Gerasim Kouznetsov. PROEKT_FABRIKA MANDALAS WITH MAIN SIGNS. Victor Lukin. S.ART, Petr Vois Gallery COLOR AND FORM. Nikolay Ignatiev. Photographer.ru OMNE ANIMAL. Artists: A. Belashov, Y. Zhdanova, E. Kasimov, Oleg Kulik, S. Loyk, A. Russova and others. Moscow Zoo. Exhibition Hall PAPER ARCHITECTURE. State Tretyakov Gallery THE PAST NOW. Artists: Arkady Nassonov, Eugeny Semenov. VP Studio PERSONAL ACQUAINTANCE. Artists: Pavel Borkunov, Eugenia Buravleva, Ivan Grigiriev, Sergey Klinkov, Pavel Otdelnov, Egor Plotnikov, Varvara Polyakova, Pavel Shevelev. Kovcheg Gallery PIECE OF ART. State Museum of Contemporary Arts of the Russian Academy of Arts PUSTO NO MORE. PROEKT_FABRIKA REALLY? Artists: Victor Alimpiyev, Sasha Auerbakh, Ivan Brazhkin, Alexei Buldakov, Vlad Chizhenkov, Alexandra Galkina, Vadim&Irina Grabkov, Dmitry Gutov, Alisa Ioffe, Julia Ivashkina, Irina Korina, Oleg Kulik, Bogdan Mamonov, Kirill Markushin, Tausia Makhacheva, Sergey Ogurtsov, Anatoly Osmolovsky, Alexei Pan'kin, Anna Parkina, Maxim Roganov, Anastasia Ryabova, Alexander Sokolov, Anna Titova, Valentin Tkach, Stanislav Shuripa, Alexandr Sigutin, Alexandra Sukhareva, Arseny Zhilyaev. Design center ARTPLAY RUSSIAN BREAKFAST IN OPEN AIR. Schusev State Museum of Architecture SERGEY FILATOV. HOLY CIRCLE. Elena Vrublevskaya Gallery SLOWAR: «DICTIONARYOFWAR (MOSCOW SESSION)». National Centre for Contemporary Arts SNOWSTORM. BlueSoup group. XL Gallery SOUL’S BLOOM. Tatiana Daniliyants. Kino Gallery STREAM. Artists: Rostan Tavasiev, Alina Gutkiba, Ivan Pliusch. GP STRUCTURES OF SPACE, Arka Gallery, ЦЕХ V TERRA INCOGNITA. Alena Anosova. Kino Gallery THAT IS HOW I SEE. Alexander Sigutin. pop/off/art Gallery THIS IS THE END. Contemporary Art Center WINZAVOD THE THINGS. Kino Gallery THIRTEEN. Angelika Sher. Pobeda Gallery TRACTOR DRIVERS. 35th Anniversary of the Bulldozer Exposition. Krokin Gallery TRACES-VOICES-PLACES. TOTART, L-gallery UNBODIED. Mark Jenkins. Contemporary Art Center WINZAVOD Valery Koshlyakov. M&J Guelman Gallery

Fourth Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art

The curator of the Fourth Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art will be Peter Weibel, curator, artist, theorist of media arts and director of the Center of Art and Media Technology (ZKM) in Karlsruhe (Germany). Fourth Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art will take place in September-October 2011. Commissioner and the artistic director of the Biennale will be Joseph Backstein.

External links

• Neue Review, "The First Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (Exhib. Review)"
• Second Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art
• Third Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art
• Fourth Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art
• Frieze Magazine, "3rd Moscow Biennale"
• Art Margins, "The 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (Exhib. Review)"