BIAN 2021 | Digital & Immersive Art Exhibition at Arsenal
ELEKTRA‘s International Digital Art Biennial (BIAN) – originally slated for October 2020 but postponed due to lockdown – returns this fall to Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal. A major exhibition every two years entirely dedicated to contemporary digital art since it started in 2012, BIAN is being held from November 19, 2021 to February 13, 2022.
After a cycle around the theme AUTOMATA: Art Made by Machines for Machines, the theme of this 5th edition of BIAN is METAMORPHOSIS – a timely subject that echoes the era of COVID-19 and the changes it continues to bring in our lifestyles.
Co-curated by DooEun Choi and Alain Thibault, with a focus on the East Asian countries of South Korea, Japan, China; BIAN brings together 17 works, some of them North American and Canadian premieres, by 15 local and international solos and collectives. Participating artists are Refik Anadol, Michel de Broin, Cadie Desbiens-Desmeules, Justine Emard, Exonemo, Daniel Iregui, Ryoichi Kurokama, Herman Kolgen, Ahreum Lee, LuYang, Louis-Philippe Rondeau, Oli Sorenson, David Spriggs, Samuel St-Aubin and Bill Vorn.
METAMORPHOSIS refers to the classic Book of Changes (I Ching) and proposes that today, one of the fundamental effects of constant change is to broaden our understanding of the relationship between humanity, nature, and technology. According to the Book of Changes, human society is in constant transformation, and everything is subject to change; yet at the same time there is a core that never changes. By understanding this core profoundly, it is therefore possible to foresee the future.
The 5th International Digital Art Biennial, on the theme METAMORPHOSIS, searches for meaningful core patterns by revisiting this triangular relationship to encourage diverse discussions about humanity in an age of uncertainty.
Since 1999, ELEKTRA presents and promotes works created at the intersections of contemporary art and new technologies, inscribed in the latest aesthetic currents of research and experimentation. ELEKTRA organizes a variety of activities: first and foremost, the ELEKTRA International Digital Art Festival showcases audiovisual, immersive, participatory and/or robotic artistic performances since 1999.
Second, the International Digital Art Biennial (BIAN), launched in 2012, is a large exhibition featuring unique and innovative works from the convergence of emerging technologies and modern artistic creation.
Last but not least, the International Marketplace for Digital Art (MIAN) is an annual professional gathering that is open to the public. Since 2007, the MIAN invites to Montreal some of the major actors of the international arts and digital cultures ecosystem.
Here is what you need to know about BIAN 2021
Location: Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal | 2020 William St, Montreal, Quebec H3J 1R8
Date: November 19, 2021 – February 13, 2022
Opening Hours:
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10 AM – 6:30 PM
Wednesday 10 AM – 6:30 PM
Thursday 10 AM – 7:30 PM
Friday 10 AM – 7:30 PM
Saturday 10 AM – 7:30 PM
Sunday 10 AM – 6:30 PM
Tickets: Available for purchase online through Ticketpro
Website: elektramontreal.ca | arsenalcontemporary.com/mtl
Facebook: @elektramontreal | @arsenalcontemporary
Instagram: @elektra_bian | @arsenalcontemporary
Featured image credit: LIFEFORM, Herman Kolgen, 2020
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