ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Belgrade Biennial 2021: The Dreamers

exhibition · 2026-04-27

The October Salon, the most important contemporary art event in the Western Balkans, has been officially rebranded as the Belgrade Biennial for its 58th edition, running until August 22, 2021. The shift from its traditional October 20 opening—tied to Belgrade's liberation day in WWII—to a summer launch sparked controversy among local intellectuals, who saw it as a forced decontextualization. Curated by Italians Ilaria Marotta and Andrea Baccin, founders of CURA., the biennial features 64 international artists and collectives with 160 works under the concept "THE DREAMERS." The theme explores the deceptive nature of reality and the space of dreams, drawing on Jean Baudrillard's hyperreality and The Matrix. Venues include the Museum of the City of Belgrade (Resavska), KCB Art Gallery, and public spaces like Terazije Square, Branko's Bridge, and Trg Republike. Notable works include Pierre Huyghe's sculpture created in collaboration with the Walker Art Center, and permanent installations by Aleksandra Domanović and Cyprien Gaillard. The catalog, edited by KCB and Cura Books, features texts by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Emanuele Coccia, and others, plus a dream section inspired by Obrist and Francesco Bonami's 1999 book. The graphic identity was designed by CURA. with Giandomenico Carpentieri, and limited editions were produced with König Souvenir.

Key facts

  • The October Salon rebranded as Belgrade Biennial for its 58th edition.
  • The biennial runs until August 22, 2021.
  • Curated by Ilaria Marotta and Andrea Baccin of CURA.
  • 64 international artists and collectives with 160 works participate.
  • Theme is 'THE DREAMERS', exploring reality and dreams.
  • Venues include Museum of the City of Belgrade, KCB Art Gallery, and public spaces.
  • Pierre Huyghe created a sculpture for the event in collaboration with Walker Art Center.
  • Catalog includes texts by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Emanuele Coccia, and others.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • CURA.
  • Museum of the City of Belgrade
  • Cultural Center of Belgrade
  • Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade
  • Ministry of Culture of Serbia
  • Museum of Yugoslavia
  • KCB Art Gallery
  • Walker Art Center
  • Cura Books
  • König Souvenir
  • Artribune
  • October Salon
  • Belgrade Biennale
  • Culture Centre of Belgrade (KCB)
  • Belgrade City Museum
  • Movie Theater of the Cultural Center of Belgrade
  • BIGZ building
  • Radio Belgrade
  • Motto Distribution
  • Cura.Books
  • Galerie Chantal Crousel

Locations

  • Belgrade
  • Serbia
  • Western Balkans
  • Museum of the City of Belgrade
  • Resavska
  • KCB Art Gallery
  • Museum of Yugoslavia
  • Terazije Square
  • Branko's Bridge
  • Trg Republike
  • Belgrade Dance Institute
  • Paris
  • Minneapolis
  • Rome
  • Venice

Sources

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