• Submitted by: admin
• Arts and Culture
• Caribbean
• culture an traditions
• Education
• Havana
• international
• Paint and Sculpture
• Photography
• Society
• 03 / 12 / 2009

---

The Tenth Havana Biennial will present six projects prepared by artists living in that country. If something defines them, that is their thematic and stylist diversity.

Ángel Carlos Fernández, in charge of coordinating the Australian presence at the Biennial, appreciates in the first place the collaboration of the prestigious curator Christine Morrow, from the Sydney Museum of Modern Art: “She submitted an initial proposal of ten artists; we selected the five projects most related with the premises of our Biennial and with the theme of this particular edition.”

Michael Goldberg´s proposal, for example, presents a highly important current issue: the ups and downs of the international stock-exchange market, the fluctuating values in finances, the peculiarities of global trade.

“It is a much-spoken of theme, but not necessarily a well understood one. Goldberg takes advantage of that circumstance to interact with the public and remaining guest artists by means of a performance. He pretends to work the entire month on his installation”, comments Ángel Carlos.

Another guest is the artist of Chinese origin Guan Wei, who recreates the world of video games in his project, particularly those based on the military software and equipment. “With his installation he reflects on the world division into winners and losers, explores the ethics and the social, political and environmental dilemmas of the contemporary world.”

Inspired by the polemic universe of war, artist Danius Kesminas has brought together seven music students from Indonesia who form a peculiar punk group: Punkasila, with which he satirizes these latent problems of our times.

Artist Gerry Wedd, in turn, will exhibit a work made in white and blue porcelain, manufactures in ancient Chinese style. Wedd affirms that this technique originated in China and not in Europe, as generally believed.

Objects recreate the vast catalogue of merchandise overstocking souvenir shops of half the world: small memories that the tourist takes home from his holiday.

A selection that pretends to be serious cannot do without the presence of native artists like Tony Albert. His mother is Australian of European ancestors, and his father a native of the continent. Precisely there lies the genesis of his project 50perCent, which immediately recalls the name of a popular U.S. musician: 50Cent.

“In that way he reflects on the global presence of the entertainment industry. He himself has become an enormously popular figure in his country.”

The last Australian proposal at the Biennial will be that of artist Darren Sirves, who is also exploring the identity of the continent´s native populations and their insertion in western culture.

Thanks to the collaboration of gallery owner Paul Greneway, from Adelaide, the public from Havana will have the possibility of appreciating a number of photomontages in which native faces gain a new and original presence in the country´s contemporary native scene.


(Boletín Décima Bienal de La Habana)