12th Lyon Biennale, Lyon, France
Curated by Gunnar B. Kvaran, the 12th Lyon Biennale takes as its theme art that explores plotting and narrative by subverting the usual forms and practices of storytelling. A number of artists were invited to contribute to the biennial, including Ed Atkins (UK), Ryan Trecartin (USA), Zhang Ding (China), Masaya Chiba (Japan) and French artists Neil Beloufa and Lili Reynaud-Dewar. Featuring sculpture, film, painting, text and sound pieces, Kvaran believes that “these are art narratives that enable us to see and understand the world in a new light…”
Until 5 January 2014, www.biennaledelyon.com
Rendez-vous 13: Young international artists, Lyon, France
An international platform dedicated to young artists and organised by the Musée d’art contemporain, Lyon; the Institut d’art contemporain, Villeurbanne / Rhône-Alpes; and the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts, Lyon. This year, as in 2009 and in 2011, Rendez-vous is held in parallel with the 12th Biennale de Lyon. Featuring 20 artists from five continents, ten of them living in France, it includes painting, sculpture, video and installations. The exhibition has been curated in partnership with ten biennials, including curators from Shanghai, South Korea, India and Sao Paolo.
Until 10 November 2013, www.rendezvous13.fr
Agora: 4th Athens Biennale, Athens, Greece
Taking place in the former Athens Stock Exchange, the fourth Athens Biennale takes as its theme the recent economic meltdown in the country. It sets out ‘to explore creative alternatives to a state of bankruptcy’ and reflects on the way a biennale has to operate under the current socio-economic circumstances. Moving away from the growing tendency for ‘star’ curators, it has been curated collectively by a group of artists, curators, theorists and practitioners in the creative industries.
29 September–1 December 2013, www.athensbiennale.org/agora
Chaco: The Contemporary Art Fair of Chile, Santiago, Chile
Now in its fifth year, Chaco Art Fair aims to develop an international audience for Chilean contemporary art and to grow the Chilean art market. This year’s fair features art institutions and galleries from South and North America and includes 10 pop-ups by what are described as ‘Chilean alternative project spaces’. There’s also a talks programme curated by Gonzalo Pedraza and including a talk by Mexican artist Carlos Amorales.
27–30 September 2013, www.feriachaco.cl
Land|Slide Possible Futures, Markham, Ontario, Canada
Exploring themes of architecture, urban ecology and living history, the site-specific work of over 30 international artists features across the 25-acre, open-air Markham Museum. Working in a wide range of media – from film, sculpture, installation and performance to digitised diaries, 3D projections and augmented reality – the invited artists have been commissioned to ‘reinterpret the site and draw out new histories and futures for a world in dramatic transition.’
Until 14 October 2013, www.landslide-possiblefutures.com
