Artlog

However, within the enormously differentiated field that we (perhaps absurdly) continue to yoke under the term “contemporary art,” certain prevalent modes of working and thematic concerns are particularly germane to the moment.

Many of the projects presented in the exhibition explore fluid communication structures and systems of exchange that index larger social, political, and economic contexts, often aiming to invert the more object-oriented operations of the art market. Recurring concerns involve a nuanced investigation of social, domestic, and public space and its translation into form—primarily sculptural, but also photographic and cinematic. Many artists reconcile rigorous formal and conceptual underpinnings with personal narratives or historical references. While numerous works demonstrate an explicit or implicit engagement with art history, particularly the legacy of modernism, as well as a pronounced interest in questioning the staging and display of art, others chart the topography and architecture of the decentralized American city and take inspiration from postindustrial landscapes and urban decay. Using humble or austere materials or employing calculated messiness or modes of deconstruction, they present works distinguished by their poetic sensibility as they discover pockets of beauty in sometimes unexpected places.

There is an evident trend toward creating work of an ephemeral, event-based character, in the form of music and other performance, movement workshops, radio broadcasts, publishing projects, community-based activities, film screenings, culinary gatherings, or lectures. Such projects do not stand in opposition to institutions; rather, considering each of these multiple platforms equally important, artists show objects in the museum or gallery even as they seek ways to complicate and transcend its parameters. In this spirit, from March 6–23 the 2008 Biennial continues at Park Avenue Armory with an extensive program of events and performances.

Across media, much work in this year’s Biennial concerns politics although its mode of address is often oblique or allegorical. Persistence, belief, and a desire to locate meaning threads through these many modes and activities rooted in what feels like a transitional moment of history. Rather than positing a definitive answer or approach, these artists exhibit instead a passion for the search, positioned in the immediate reality of our uncertain sociopolitical times. from March 6-23.

Rita Ackermann Born 1968 in Budapest, Hungary, Lives in New York, New York Natalia Almada Born 1974 in Mexico, Lives in Mexico City, Mexico and New York, New York Edgar Arceneaux Born 1972 in Los Angeles, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California Fia Backström Born 1970 in Stockholm, Sweden, Lives in New York, New York John Baldessari Born 1931 in National City, California, Lives in Santa Monica, California Robert Bechtle Born 1932 in San Francisco, California, Lives in San Francisco, California Walead Beshty Born 1976 in London, England, Lives in Los Angeles, California Carol Bove Born 1971 in Geneva, Switzerland, Lives in New York, New York Joe Bradley Born 1975 in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Lives in New York, New York Matthew Brannon Born 1971 in Saint Maries, Idaho, Lives in New York, New York Bozidar Brazda Born 1972 in Cambridge, Canada, Lives in New York, New York Olaf Breuning Born 1970 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Lives in New York, New York Jedediah Caesar Born 1973 in Oakland, California. Lives in Los Angeles, California William Cordova Born 1971 in Lima, Peru, Lives in Houston, Texas and Miami, Florida Dexter Sinister Stuart Bailey, Born 1973 in York, England, David Reinfurt, Born 1971 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Based in New York, New York Harry (Harriet) Dodge and Stanya Kahn Born 1966 and 1968, respectively, in San Francisco, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California Shannon Ebner Born 1971 in Englewood, New Jersey, Lives in Los Angeles, California Gardar Eide Einarsson Born 1976 in Oslo, Norway, Lives in New York, New York Roe Ethridge Born 1969 in Miami, Florida, Lives in New York, New York Kevin Jerome Everson Born 1965 in Mansfield, Ohio, Lives in Charlottesville, Virginia Omer Fast Born 1972 in Jerusalem, Israel, Lives in Berlin, Germany Robert Fenz Born 1969 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts Coco Fusco Born 1960 in New York, New York, Lives in New York, New York Gang Gang Dance Lizzi Bougatsos, Brian DeGraw, Tim DeWit, Josh Diamond, Nathan Maddox, Founded 2001-02 in New York, New York, Based in New York, New York Amy Granat and Drew Heitzler Born 1976 in St. Louis, Missouri, and born 1972 in Charleston, South Carolina, respectively, Live in New York, NY, and Los Angeles, California, respectively Rashawn Griffin Born 1980 in Los Angeles, California, Lives in New York, New York Adler Guerrier Born 1975 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Lives in Miami, Florida MK Guth Born 1963 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Lives in Portland, Oregon Fritz Haeg Born 1969 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Lives in Los Angeles, California Rachel Harrison Born 1966 in New York, New York, Lives in New York, New York Ellen Harvey Born 1967 in Kent, England, Lives in New York, New York Mary Heilmann Born 1940 in San Francisco, California, Lives in New York, New York Leslie Hewitt Born 1977 in New York, New York, Lives in New York, New York and Houston, Texas Patrick Hill Born 1972 in Royal Oak, Michigan, Lives in Los Angeles, California William E. Jones Born 1962 in Canton, Ohio, Lives in Los Angeles, California Karen Kilimnik Born 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Alice Könitz Born 1970 in Essen, Germany, Lives in Los Angeles, California Louise Lawler Born 1947 in Bronxville, New York, Lives in New York, New York Spike Lee Born 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia, Lives in New York, New York Sherrie Levine Born 1947 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and New York, New York Charles Long Born 1958 in Long Branch, New Jersey, Lives in Los Angeles, California Lucky Dragons Luke Fischbeck, born 1978 in San Francisco, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California Daniel Joseph Martinez Born 1957 in Los Angeles, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California Corey McCorkle Born 1969 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Lives in New York, New York Rodney McMillian Born 1969 in Columbia, South Carolina, Lives in Los Angeles, California Julia Meltzer and David Thorne Born 1968 in Hollywood, California, and born 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts, Lives in Los Angeles, California Jennifer Montgomery Born 1961 in New York, New York, Lives in Chicago, Illinois Olivier Mosset Born 1944 in Bern, Switzerland, Lives in Tucson, Arizona Matt Mullican Born 1951 in Santa Monica, California, Lives in New York, New York Neighborhood Public Radio (NPR) Formed 2004 in Oakland, California, Based in Oakland, San Francisco, and San Diego, California, and Chicago, Illinois Ruben Ochoa Born 1974 in Oceanside, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California DJ Olive Born 1961 in Boston, Massachusetts, Lives in New York, New York Mitzi Pederson Born 1976 in Stuart, Florida, Lives in San Francisco, California Kembra Pfahler/The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black Born 1961 in Hermosa Beach, California, Lives in New York, New York Seth Price Born 1973 in East Jerusalem, Lives in New York, New York Stephen Prina Born 1954 in Galesburg, Illinois, Lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Los Angeles, California Adam Putnam Born 1973 in New York, New York, Lives in New York, New York Michael Queenland Born 1970 in Pasadena, California, Lives in New York, New York Jason Rhoades Born 1965, Newcastle, California, Died 2006, Los Angeles, California Ry Rocklen Born 1978 in Los Angeles, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California Bert Rodriguez Born 1975 in Miami, Florida, Lives in Miami, Florida Marina Rosenfeld Born 1968 in New York, New York, Lives in New York, New York Amanda Ross-Ho Born 1975 in Chicago, Illinois, Lives in Los Angeles, California Mika Rottenberg Born 1976 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lives in New York, New York Heather Rowe Born 1970 in New Haven, Connecticut, Lives in New York, New York Eduardo Sarabia Born 1976 in Los Angeles, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Berlin, Germany Melanie Schiff Born 1977 in Chicago, Illinois, Lives in Chicago, Illinois Amie Siegel Born 1974 in Chicago, Illinois, Lives in New York, New York and Berlin, Germany Lisa Sigal Born 1962 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lives in New York, New York Gretchen Skogerson Born 1970 in Teaneck, New Jersey, Lives in New York, New York Michael Smith Born 1951 in Chicago, Illinois, Lives in New York, New York and Austin, Texas Agathe Snow Born 1976 in Corsica, France, Lives in New York, New York Frances Stark Born 1967 in Newport Beach, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California Mika Tajima/New Humans Mika Tajima, Born 1975 in Los Angeles, California, Lives in New York, New York, Howie Chen, Born 1976 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Lives in New York, New York Javier Téllez Born 1969 in Valencia, Venezuela, Lives in New York, New York Cheyney Thompson Born 1975 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lives in New York, New York Mungo Thomson Born 1969 in Woodland, California, Lives in Berlin, Germany and Los Angeles, California Leslie Thornton Born 1951 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Lives in New York, New York Phoebe Washburn Born 1973 in Poughkeepsie, New York, Lives in New York, New York James Welling Born 1951 in Hartford, Connecticut, Lives in Los Angeles, California Mario Ybarra Jr. Born 1973 in Los Angeles, California, Lives in Los Angeles, California