deCordova New England Biennial 2019

deCordova New England Biennial 2019 April 5–September 15, 2019

Beginning today, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum presents works of art and newly commissioned installations by 23 New England-based artists in the deCordova New England Biennial 2019. The selected artists are from all six northeastern states—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Featuring work across diverse mediums including painting, sculpture, video, photography, fiber art, and ceramics, the Biennial occupies all galleries of the Museum and extends into the Sculpture Park with new site-specific commissions. It will be on view through September 15, 2019.

“Every two years the deCordova Biennial renews our excitement and appreciation for the ways in which New England is a vital and diverse region for contemporary art making today. This major survey presents some of the most dynamic, experimental, and distinguished artists in our area,” says Sarah Montross, Curator. “The Biennial can also be experienced against the backdrop of our contemporary moment, as artists respond to churning political dialogues, the weight and repetitions of American history, the pressures exerted on our ecological and cultural landscapes, as well as the increasingly indeterminate realms of truth and belief.”

Selected projects include Eli Brown’s Museum of Queer Ecologies, a multi-part sculpture and sound installation inspired by thousands of years of gender fluidity in human and natural realms. Emilie Stark-Menneg and her collaborator Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon enact ecstatic and haunted rituals in Confirmation, an installation of video and painting. Anoka Faruqee & David Driscoll debut captivating paintings of iridescent moiré patterns, while Bradley Borthwick presents a major sculptural project based on his study of techniques and motifs from ancient Roman stone-carving. Outdoors in the Sculpture Park, Elizabeth Tubergen unveils a large-scale sculpture, Double Grave, where visitors can rest within its inverted U-Shape.

DeCordova New England Biennial 2019 Artists:

Mildred Beltré (VT) / William Binnie (MA) / Bradley Borthwick (ME) / Jenny Brillhart (ME) / Eli Brown (MA) / Carl D’Alvia (CT) / Anoka Faruqee & David Driscoll (CT) / Ken Grimes (CT) / Yoav Horesh (NH) / Erin Johnson (ME) / George Longfish (NH) / Eva Lundsager (MA) / Jonathan Mess (ME) / Zoe Pettijohn Schade (MA) / Jordan Seaberry (RI) / Alexandria Smith (MA) / Sheida Soleimani (RI) / Emilie Stark-Menneg (RI) / Chanel Thervil (MA) / Stephen Tourlentes (MA) / Elizabeth Tubergen (CT/MA) / Bhakti Ziek (VT)

See artwork by each artist and a list of related programming at decordova.org/biennial2019.

An accompanying publication and a full slate of public programming and performances will enrich the show’s presentation. The Biennial is a mainstay of the deCordova’s programming and mission, and exemplifies the Museum’s commitment to New England artists. DeCordova began hosting its Annual exhibitions in the late 1980s and inaugurated the Biennial format in 2010.

Organized by Sarah Montross, Curator, with Sam Adams, Koch Curatorial Fellow; Elizabeth Upenieks, Curatorial Assistant; Martina Tanga, former Koch Curatorial Fellow; and Scout Hutchinson, former Curatorial Assistant.

Support for this exhibition and publication was generously provided by two anonymous donors, The Artist's Resource Trust Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, The Meredyth Hyatt Moses Fund, and the Nathaniel Saltonstall Arts Fund.