In September of this year, Liverpool is set to host its 3rd Liverpool Biennial, the UK’s biggest international event celebrating Contemporary Art. This knowledge may surprise those who have not kept up with Liverpool’s progress lately. In spite of the city’s industrial heritage and rightful historic status, popular opinion is often negative. Who has not heard ‘Liverpool’ and thought: ‘chirpy scousers in shell suits with bubble perms, petty crime and a frankly unhealthy obsession with the beautiful game’. The excruciatingly tinny rendition of FERRY CROSS THE MERSEY played on the PA system as you…er…cross the Mersey might lead one to ponder the question, ‘was it wise to select Liverpool as the 2008 ‘European City of Culture’?
Happily, the stereotype is only part of the story for Liverpool. Excluding London, Liverpool is currently home to more art galleries and museums than any other UK city. It has eight national museums and galleries where admission is free. Among them, Tate Liverpool, established in 1988 and housing the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in the UK outside of London and The Walker Gallery, established in 1877 and home to one of the finest collections of decorative and fine art in Europe. Many less exalted exhibition spaces are in existence and in development in readiness for 2008.
Recent cultural regeneration efforts, have not yet eradicated the negative perceptions. The 3rd Liverpool Biennial and the City of Culture status will go some way to redressing this balance. Liz Cameron is a City Councillor in Glasgow and has said about that city’s past tenure as the European City of Culture: ‘The culture has always been there in Glasgow but it was as an industrial city that we were known.’ The same can be said of Liverpool and, like Glasgow, although the industries still maintain a presence, they are a shadow of their former glory selves and is it through cultural regeneration that the city hopes to increase its economic fortunes in the 21st Century.
The 3rd Liverpool Biennial will be an integral part of the European City of Culture 2008. In fact according to Council Leader Mike Storey, it was the development of the Biennial that was, ‘a key factor in persuading the judges…’ to choose Liverpool. This year it is held from 18th September – 28th November and as previously mentioned is the UK’s largest contemporary visual art event attracting over 200,000 visitors in the past. The culture and character of Liverpool will lie at the heart of the Biennial but it is very much a national event with a strong international focus.
This year’s event will comprise four key strands:
Strand 1. International 04
This is the critical focus of the Biennial and the innovative, collaborative commissioning process has included research of the city as a context for the artworks. Artists have been commissioned whose work practices show an affinity with the culture of Liverpool. The artists have visited the city and have proposed works that are site specific and offer an insight into the cultural context of the city. The artists include: Yoko Ono, Yang Fudong, Esko Mannikko and Inigo Manglano-Ovalle.
Strand 2. The Independent
A series of exhibitions in a variety of different spaces supported by afoundation for regional, National and International artists including architects, filmmakers and others.
Strand 3. John Moores 23
This prestigious open painting competition is for artists living and working in the UK. This year the nominations will be exhibited at the Walker Gallery and the prize is £25,000 with an additional 4 prizes of £2,500 each. Among the judges are Gill Hedley, director of the Contemporary Art Society and Jarvis Cocker, musician and a keen collector of Contemporary Art.
Strand 4. Bloomberg New Contempories 2004
Established in 1949 this is an exhibition of student and new graduate work, selected from Fine Art Colleges throughout the UK.
In addition the Biennial will this year be hosting and announcing the winner of the annual Comme Ca Art Prize, popularly known as ‘The North West’s version of the Turner Prize’, which is worth £10,000 to the winner. By happy coincidence, last year’s winner was Liverpudlian, Paul Rooney.
All this is fabulous news for the really serious and highbrow members of the contemporary art community. Even more admirable to note is the way in which the Liverpool Biennial utilises the whole city and its community; it is famous for taking over any empty space it can find throughout the city centre and filling it with art. For the 2002 Biennial, Tate Liverpool commissioned Cuban born artist, Jorge Pardo who then designed the fabulous, tentacle-like lighting domes that illuminate his ‘Penelope’ sculpture in the city centre’s Wolstenhome Square.
This inclusion of the famously proud Liverpudlians is important. Following Liverpool’s victory in being chosen as City of Culture, it was noted by both Tessa Jowell, Culture Secretary, and Sir Jeremy Isaacs, head of the judging panel, that much of the strength of Liverpool’s campaign was due to the perception that the whole city was behind the bid and supporting it. Success it seems has bred success because according to Biennial’s chief executive, Lewis Biggs, ‘People seem far more interested in helping us and joining in. Once they can see the success people are more willing to take part.’ It is good to see such civic pride being channelled into arts events such as the Biennial which actively encourages the inclusion of a wide range of local people in the community; people who do not usually have any connection with art, contemporary or otherwise.
This is an international event so companies are eager to offer their buildings and land to be ‘taken over’ by the Biennial for art works. Already on board are several Liverpool landmarks: The Port of Liverpool, Lime Street Station, the Pier Head, St Georges Hall, the church forecourt of Bluecoat Chambers and Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Others flock to be part of the fun knowing that the eyes of the national and international media will be on Liverpool. BBC and Channel Five are both keen to feature the city in their arts programming and have earmarked 2008 as a major date in their diaries. The Biennial will be featured in a 2-part special to be shown on Channel Five as part of its pilot scheme: FIVE ARTS CITIES during which they will also feature a Tate Liverpool exhibition as well as community-based arts projects in Liverpool.
Let’s see the continuing success of the Biennial and the City’s tenure as European City of Culture finally lay to rest the negative image of this gorgeous and vibrant city. For further information see www.biennial.com and www.liverpoolculture.com.
