NEWS
BNL MTL 2011 / THEME AND COMMISSIONERS
"L'art a lieu par hasard"--"Art Happens by Chance" Stéphane Mallarmé
It is under the banner of chance that the Biennale de Montréal (BNL MTL) will be held from May 1st to 31st, 2011. This original and unusual theme plays a significant role in the artistic process yet has never been the subject of a major exhibition.
Organized by the CIAC - Centre international d'art contemporain de Montréal - the 7th edition of the BNL MTL will be held under the leadership of co-commissioners Claude Gosselin, General and Artistic Director of the CIAC, and David Liss, Artistic Director and Curator of MOCCA - Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art, Toronto.
David Liss is the ideal partner for such an event, one who knows both Montréal and the Canadian scene well, and who regularly organizes exhibits for national artists at MOCCA. He also boasts serious international experience as exhibition curator at ARCOmadrid, the festival of contemporary Spanish art, and at photo MIAMI, the contemporary art festival dedicated to photography, video and new media.
After having explored, in 2009, the theme of "Open Culture," which focused on the creative process, the BNL MTL 2011 will embrace "chance," this intriguing concept that grips and governs the work of artists and scientists alike. Video, visual art, performance, installation and exposition: all will bear the mark of destiny like so many rolls of the creative dice.
Reviving the spirit of the first Biennales de Montréal and the Cent jours d'art contemporain de Montréal, the BNL MTL 2011 will offer a challenging and invigorating vintage. Always driven by its desire for exploration and creative mixing, the gathering will include both major artists and new talent to create a comprehensive, international event.
Though the CIAC does not solicit projects, it will consider all the proposals it receives as long as they are related to chance and this theme is fully integrated into the process and questioning of the artist.
Regular updates on the CIAC site and the site of the Biennale de Montréal will allow you to find all the new information about the BNL MTL 2011.
