Precipitation: A conversation with curators of the 9th Mercosul Biennial

• Art/Photo

In the vibrant field of international biennials, the 9th Mercosul Biennial in Porto Alegre, Brazil, is distinguished by its commitment to pedagogy and active exploration of new methods for mediating and presenting contemporary art. At this event, the biennial’s Artistic Director and Chief Curator Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy will discuss the project’s unique structure and themes, including time, weather, and technology. She will be joined by two biennial “Cloud Fellows” Sarah Demeuse and Dominic Willsdon, who helped conceive and organize the exhibition.

Including fifty-nine artists from Latin America as well as across the globe, the 9th Mercosul Biennial was organized around three components: a major exhibition, entitled “Portals, Forecasts and Monotypes”; an initiative “Island Sessions,” involving field trips, discussions, an online publication, and a five-month art education program; as well as a program designed for teachers, entitled “Cloud Formations.” On the overall concept of the biennial, the organizers write that it would be an environment “to encounter natural resources and material culture in a new light.

The conversation will be moderated by Lauren Cornell, Curator, 2015 Triennial, Museum as Hub, and Digital Projects.