4th General Assembly of the International Biennial Association

IBA, the International Biennial Association, is pleased to announce its 4th General Assembly will be held at the Yokohama Museum of Art in Yokohama, Japan from September 25-28, 2017. Organized by IBA and the Organizing Committee for Yokohama Triennale, the three day event will be a discursive platform focusing on the increasing contextual shift of perennial events and the future of IBA. The IBA gathering will also reexamine the developing professional skills and facing challenges with biennials and triennials under the title “CONNECTIVITY AS A METHOD? The Future of Biennales and Triennales.” The IBA Members Program will include the annual General Assembly (members only) and Board Meetings during which various topics regarding the association will be deliberated and voted upon.

A public program featuring two discussions, an international seminar, and a panel discussion will take place on September 27 with a focus on the future of biennales, triennales, and festivals around the world. Attendees will include artists, curators, directors, and scholars, all of whom share a deep interest and understanding of biennial and triennial context.

The event’s theme, as outlined by Yokohama Triennale, notes that as we see a surge in the number of biennales and triennales held around the world today, we also see the transition of such recurring exhibitions becoming multi-centric in location and diverse in their methods as a result of globalization. Since entering the 21st century, recurring exhibitions are taking new roles in collaborative lavatories, creative industries, community rejuvenation, and city branding, in addition to providing experimental and alternative ways of working with artists and professionals of other genres.

For this international seminar, Soichiro Fukutake, the founder of Benesse Art Site Naoshima, has been invited to give a keynote speech on his experiences in creating the various infrastructures in Naoshima through contemporary art, while referring to the fundamental value of art and its contribution to generating new social values, and pointing to how biennales, triennales, and festivals can connect art to various social elements in their surrounding environments. The keynote speech will be followed by a panel discussion on the future of biennales, triennales and festivals, with professionals who are involved in curating and organizing these events in different social and cultural contexts.

Programs

Monday, September 25
10:30am–2pm—Guided tour of Yokohama Triennale 2017
2:30–6pm—Eighth Board Meeting

Tuesday, September 26
1pm-1:30pm—Registration
1:30-4pm—IBA General Assembly

Welcoming address by
Yongwoo Lee, IBA President
Eriko Osaka, Co-director of Yokohama Triennale 2017

Introduction to New Members
General Report and Association Updates
Financial Summary
Deliberation and Voting

4–6pm—Board Meeting

Wednesday, September 27
10am–6pm—Public program featuring discussions, an international seminar with and a panel discussion with selected panelists

Keynote speaker: Soichiro Fukutake
Panelists: Yamaide Jun’ya / Thiago de Paula Souza / Bige Örer
*English/Japanese simultaneous interpretation available

Thursday, September 28
9:30am–10pm—Full day excursion, including visits to Enoura Observatory, Warehouse Terrada, Japan Media Arts Festival, and Mori Art Museum

Please visit the IBA website for an updated, detailed schedule: 4th General Assembly schedule of events

Please RSVP to info [​at​] biennialassociation.org.

Though the public program will be open to the public, IBA members receive more advantages during the General Assembly and all year round. During the General Assembly, IBA members are invited to the welcome dinner, the main member conference and other members-only events. Members are able to connect online through the IBA website’s Interactive Space, in which members have the opportunity to network, communicate ideas and work together toward a common goal. Additionally, all IBA members receive a membership card that grants access to all events organized by IBA as well as free admission to those institutions participating in our free admission program.

The three member categories include Individual, Institutional and Associate. Individual and Institutional members are able to vote for IBA representatives. All members are encouraged to be active participants of the association.

Applications are accepted through the IBA website: www.biennialassociation.org.

Executive Board
President: Yongwoo Lee (International Biennial Association)
Vice President: Bige Örer (Istanbul Biennial)
Interim Vice President: Sally Tallant (Liverpool Biennial)

Board Members (Listed alphabetically by given name)
Alia Swastika (Ark Galerie) / Alisa Prudnikova (Ural Industrial Biennale) / Alya Sebti (ifa - Institute for International Cultural Relations) / Boon Hui Tan (Asia Society Museum) / Elke aus dem Moore (ifa – Institute for International Cultural Relations) / Eriko Osaka (Yokohama Triennale) / Gabriele Horn (Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art) / Helena Kontova (Prague Biennale) / Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi (Sharjah Art Foundation) / Margarita Gonzalez (Havana Biennial) / Mauro Petroni (Dakar Biennale) / Patrick Mudekereza (Waza, Centre d’art de Lubumbashi) / Sylvie Fortin (Independant curator, critic and editor)

For inquiries, please contact: info [​at​] biennialassociation.org.

International Biennial Association (IBA)
111 Biennale-ro, 3rd Floor
Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea 61104
www.biennialassociation.org
T +82 62 608 4132 / F +82 62 608 4139