The Beijing International Art Biennale (BIAB) is a Chinese
bienniale for international contemporary
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
, hosted in
Beijing
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Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. It has taken place since 2003, with a schedule that was pushed back one year in 2008 to coincide with the Beijing Olympics. It is organized by the Chinese Artists Association and characterized by diverse international participation.
Past events
1st Biennale - 2003
Held from 20 September to 20 October, the first Biennale featured 577 works from 45 countries.
2nd Biennale - 2005
This was held from September 20 to October 20, at the China Millennium Monument, Beijing World Art Museum, and National Art Museum of China. It featured 600 works from 50 countries.
3rd Biennale - 2008
The third Biennale was held from July 8 to August 24, 2008, under the title "Colors and Olympism". The biannual schedule was offset by one year to coincide with the
Beijing Olympic Games, and borrowed from its theme. Exhibitions were held at the National Art Museum of China (July 8 to August 12) and in the Exhibition Hall of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (July 7 to August 24). It featured 747 works by artists from 81 countries, including mainly
sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
s and
painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...
s. According to the curator Wang Yong, this showed both recent trends in Chinese art, and the reawakened global interest in painting.
Internationally, this Biennale was not widely noted; in ''
Art in America
''Art in America'' is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world in the United States, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It i ...
'' it was criticized as a "lackluster overview exhibition" that featured "hastily commissioned paintings of heroic Chinese soldiers", while contemporary, avant-garde art from China was only seen in exhibitions of private galleries.
/sup> In response to this criticism, "innovation does not necessarily mean new media and new formats".
A prize was awarded for an Olympic Sport image, ''Die Springer,'' by Sandra Ackermann.
4th Bienniale - 2010
Held from September 20 to October 4, 2010 under the theme "Environmental Concern and Human Existence". It featured 535 artists and 562 works from 94 countries.
5th Bienniale - 2012
Held from September 28 to October 22, 2012 under the theme "The Future and Reality". It featured over 700 exhibited works from 84 countries.
References
* Zhu Linyong
"Third Beijing International Art Biennale kicks off"
on ChinaCulture.org (English, accessed 11 April 2013)
* Katherine Don: "Beijing Biennale: July 8-Aug 12", in ''Art in America'', December 2008
External links
Official website
Chinese Artists Association
the organizers
2d. Beijing Biennale
from Kunstaspekte
Art biennials
Art exhibitions in China
Events in Beijing
Autumn events in China