Global Biennials Face Postponements and Adaptations Due to Uneven Vaccine Distribution
The 15th Sharjah Biennial, which was meant to take place in March 2022, has been pushed to 2023 because of issues with vaccine distribution worldwide. It will carry the title 'Thinking Historically in the Present,' a theme created by the late Okwui Enwezor. Hoor Al Qasimi, the Sharjah Art Foundation's director, emphasized that more time is essential to address urgent problems. In another development, the Istanbul Biennial has postponed its opening to September 17, 2022, due to a COVID-19 spike in Turkey. The Venice Architecture Biennale has just started with a large turnout, though some national pavilions remain closed. Also, Serbia's 58th October Salon will open on June 25, showcasing over 160 pieces, and the 14th Baltic Triennial will kick off on June 4 in Vilnius, focusing on artists from Central and Eastern Europe, despite travel restrictions.
Key facts
- Sharjah Biennial 15 postponed to 2023 due to uneven vaccine distribution
- UAE has over 124 vaccine doses per 100 people
- Istanbul Biennial delayed to September 17, 2022 after Turkey's COVID-19 spike
- Venice Architecture Biennale opened with high attendance but closed pavilions
- Serbia's October Salon opens June 25 with over 160 works
- Baltic Triennial focuses on Central and Eastern European artists for the first time
- Lithuania has 18.9% full vaccination rate, opens bookings May 31
- Serbia suspended vaccine tourism after 30,000 foreigners participated
Entities
Artists
- Hoor Al Qasimi
- Okwui Enwezor
- Ute Meta Bauer
- Amar Kanwar
- David Teh
- Aleksandra Domanović
- Vuk Ćuk
- Alex Da Corte
- Nicholas Deshayes
- Camille Henrot
- DIS
- Cao Fei
- Ilaria Marotta
- Andrea Baccin
- Flaka Haliti
- Karol Radziszewski
- Mladen Stilinović
- Jonas Mekas
- George Maciunas
- Valentinas Klimašauskas
- João Laia
Institutions
- Sharjah Art Foundation
- Sharjah Biennial
- Istanbul Biennial
- Venice Architecture Biennale
- October Salon
- Cultural Centre of Belgrade
- Museum of the City of Belgrade
- Museum of Yugoslavia
- Baltic Triennial
Locations
- Sharjah
- UAE
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Venice
- Italy
- Canada
- China
- Australia
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
- Germany
- Serbia
- Belgrade
- Vilnius
- Lithuania
- EU
- EEA