The Evolution and Future of International Biennials in Contemporary Art

Daniel Birnbaum, a professor at the Städelschule in Frankfurt and former director of the 2009 Venice Biennale, examines the history and current state of international biennials. The format originated in Venice in 1895 and expanded globally in the 1990s, becoming a key platform for contemporary art, especially in non-Western cities. This proliferation coincided with post-Cold War globalization and the rise of a multicentric art world, shifting focus from traditional Western capitals to locations like Havana and Johannesburg. Curator Harald Szeemann's approach, treating exhibitions as artworks, sparked debate, notably criticized by artist Daniel Buren at Documenta 5 in 1972. By the late 1990s, events like Szeemann's Venice Biennales faced scrutiny for 'festivalism,' a term coined by critic Peter Schjeldahl to describe art consumed quickly by mass audiences. The 2003 Venice Biennale, curated by Francesco Bonami with contributions from Birnbaum and Hans Ulrich Obrist, featured multiple independent sections, suggesting a potential endpoint for the format's experimental phase. Birnbaum notes growing fatigue with biennials, linked to climate concerns and excessive travel, and explores alternatives like digital and immersive technologies, citing examples such as Ho Tzu Nyen's 2021 virtual reality installation. He argues for innovation in biennial structures to sustain international dialogue while addressing environmental impacts.