Prague Biennale 1 Critiqued for Institutional Politics and Uneven Execution
The Prague Biennale 1 took place from 26 June to 24 August 2003 at the Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, National Gallery, Prague, marking Europe's largest contemporary art exhibition under the theme 'Peripheries Become the Centre.' With a budget of US$100,000, the event encountered significant criticism, including the exclusion of a Czech curator by the president. A newsletter from Flash Art came to the event's defense, ignoring curator Jens Hoffmann. The catalogue was inconsistent, featuring torn pages for labels. Highlighted works included Krištof Kintera's 'I Am Sick of it All' and Gianni Motti's video 'Untitled.' Major Czech artists were overlooked, and Kintera's 'Homegrown' epitomized the event's artificial nature, alongside issues like inadequate air conditioning and faulty projectors.
Key facts
- Prague Biennale 1 ran from 26 June to 24 August 2003
- Held at Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, National Gallery, Prague in Veletržní Palác
- Theme was 'Peripheries Become the Centre'
- Budget was US$100,000, with half going to Lauri Firstenberg's curatorial projects
- A Czech curator was barred from the venue by the Biennale's president
- Flash Art published a defensive newsletter questioning critics
- Notable works included Gianni Motti's video of George W. Bush and Krištof Kintera's kinetic sculpture
- Major Czech artists like Veronika Bromová and David Cerný were not represented
Entities
Artists
- Louis Armand
- Jean-Pierre Khazem
- Krištof Kintera
- Luca Beatrice
- Lauri Firstenberg
- Helena Kontová
- Giancarlo Politi
- Petra Mrzyk
- Jean-François Moriceau
- Paolo Consorti
- Christina Graziani
- Szabolcs Kisspál
- Anton Vidokle
- Christian Manzutto
- Anibal Lopez
- Gianni Motti
- Jirí Cernický
- Štepánka Šimlová
- Zwelethu Mthetwa
- Daniela Rossell
- Martéta Othová
- Avdei Ter-Oganyan
- Paula Roush
- Mimmo Paladino
- Jens Hoffmann
- Oldrich Tyl
- Josef Fuchs
- Veronika Bromová
- David Cerný
Institutions
- Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, National Gallery, Prague
- Prague City Gallery
- Flash Art
- Kostabi World
- Radio Free Europe
Locations
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- Italy
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Capetown
- South Africa
- Hong Kong
- London
- United Kingdom
- Whitehouse
- Iraq