Biennales: Theatre(s) of Global Art?

This talk is co-organized by HKU Fine Arts and Art History Alumni Association and our Department, and is supported by HKU Museum Society

Biennales: Theatre(s) of Global Art?

Date: 24 July 2021 (Saturday) 
Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
Venue: Online via Zoom Webinar/ CPD 2.42, Centennial Campus, HKU

Registration: Click here – open on 28/6/2021, first come first served, close on 21/7/2021
Advanced registration required

Over the last 15 years many cities from Beijing to Colombo, Singapore to Sharjah have jumped on the biennale bandwagon. The Venice Biennale may have set a historical precedent for spectacular art events but what does the more recent proliferation of biennales tell us? Are biennales a new fashionable art trend or a sign of increased awareness of global art practice? Through a consideration of various locations in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, this talk will touch upon some of the key historical and contemporary examples of biennales and how they have impacted the global circuits of art from 1980 to the present.

Speaker: Kathleen Wyma
Dr Wyma is visiting assistant professor at the Department of Art History, The University of Hong Kong. She teaches courses on contemporary global, modern and South Asian art history, among which is ARTH2090: Blockbusters, bonanzas, and biennales: contemporary art in the global age. Her research focuses on post 1945 Indian art, with a special interest in post colonialism and the impact of intercultural exchange in an increasing globalized art world.