Liverpool Biennial is now open!

Liverpool Biennial has opened nine new exhibitions bringing together the complete presentation of the 11^th edition, The Stomach and the Port until 27 June. This final chapter compliments the outdoor sculptures, installations, sonic and digital commissions, alongside the Biennial Online Portal, which launched in March. Now, in line with Government guidance, the Biennial has opened the doors to Liverpool, welcoming visitors to safely enjoy the UK’s largest free festival of contemporary art.

The Stomach and the Port is curated by Manuela Moscoso and showcases the work of 50 leading, and emerging, artists and collectives from 30 countries around the world, including 47 new commissions for the Liverpool Biennial.

The participating artists include: Larry Achiampong, Black Obsidian Sound System, Erick Beltrán, Diego Bianchi, Alice Channer, Judy Chicago, Ithell Colquhuoun, Christopher Cozier, Yael Davids, Ines Doujak & John Barker, Dr. Lakra, Jadé Fadojutimi, Jes Fan, Lamin Fofana, Ebony G. Patterson, Sonia Gomes, Ane Graff, Ayesha Hameed, Camille Henrot, Nicholas Hlobo, Laura Huertas Millán, Sohrab Hura, Invernomuto & Jim C. Nedd, Rashid Johnson, KeKeÇa, Jutta Koether, SERAFINE1369, Ligia Lewis, Linder, Luo Jr – shin, Jorgge Menna Barreto, Haroon Mirza, Neo Muyanga, Pedro Neves Marques, Roland Persson, Anu Põder, Reto Pulfer, André Romão, Kathleen Ryan, Zineb Sedira, Xaviera Simmons, Teresa Solar, Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, Jenna Sutela, Martine Syms, UBERMORGEN, Leonardo Impett and Joasia Krysa, Luisa Ungar, Alberta Whittle, Zheng Bo, David Zink Yi.

Exploring concepts of the body, the Biennial draws on non-Western thinking that challenges our understanding of the individual as a defined, self-sufficient, entity. Instead, the body is seen as fluid, being continuously shaped by, and actively shaping its environment. At the heart of this Biennial is Liverpool’s history as a port city, an active agent in the process of modernisation, change, and colonialism. Through the visible and invisible dynamics of the port’s past, this Biennial envisions different forms of being human and explores what bodies have the potential to be.

Presented across the city’s historic sites and new locations, the artists have taken over the Lewis’s Building, Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building, Lush Liverpool, Liverpool Central Library and Cotton Exchange with site specific exhibitions, while new commissions and existing works are on display in the city’s leading art venues, Tate Liverpool, FACT, Bluecoat and Open Eye Gallery.

The Biennial’s series of outdoor sculptures and installations by seven artists celebrate Liverpool’s iconic architecture and public spaces. Connecting bodies and experiences to key places, past and present, together they speak of the movement of humans across the sea and propose new understandings of the relationships between the body and nature.

To navigate the breadth of the Biennial and to make connections between the artworks, a free Guide is available to pick up around the city and online here, and a series of suggested trails here gather exhibitions, outdoor sculptures and installations around 3 curatorial entry points – Stomach, Porosity and Kinship.

Underpinning the physical festival is the Biennial Online Portal, a platform presenting an introduction to each of the artists and wider entry points, along with the public online programme Processes of Fermentation. It combines an inspiring line-up of live performances, artist interviews, curatorial videos, artist-led discussions and workshops, a film programme, and podcasts, hosted alongside rich and engaging multimedia content. In addition, a vibrant selection of online and physical resources is available for children and young people, bringing the Biennial into the home, the classroom and the community.

For more information and bookings please visit: liverpoolbiennial2021.com