Seven years ago, a group of artists and critical thinkers came together in Bergen, Norway under the auspices of the Bergen Biennial Conference, aiming to weigh the pros and cons of the biennial format. From this encounter, a flexible model of artistic production and event-making emerged, today known as Bergen Assembly, which is presented on a triennial basis across rotating venues in the Norwegian city.
This year’s Assembly is curated by artistic directors Tarek Atoui, freethought, and PRAXES. Multiple venues will play host to exhibitions and live events from September 1st to 4th, 2016. The Bergen Kunsthall will house a series of works that respond to and re-work the oeuvre of American artist Lynda Benglis, in a group exhibition called ‘Adhesive Products’, curated by Berlin-based duo PRAXES. Tarek Atoui has taken over the recently defunct swimming pool Sentralbadet, a feat of modernist architecture, for his sound installations and performances ‘Within’ and ‘Infinite Ear.’ Curated by Council, ‘Infinite Ear’ takes deafness as the starting point towards proposing a different experience and understanding of hearing.
For Bergen Assembly 2016, curatorial collective freethought will focus on its current research interest: Infrastructure. Since February 2015, they’ve been hosting a series of ‘City Seminars’ in Bergen, interrogating this theme. During the opening weekend, the collective will host events and talks at performative coffeehouse Partisan Café, located in a former fire station. An installation, entitled ‘The Museum of Burning Questions’ will run parallel to the discursive program.
Exhibition
BERGEN ASSEMBLY
Triennial: ‘Bergen Assembly’
Exhibition: Sep. 1–4, 2016
Bergen, Norway, Multiple Venues
