Overview

The commissioning of new work has historically been a characteristic of biennial exhibitions. This is in part a strategy to create distinctiveness among the ever-proliferating number of international biennials, but also suggests an interest in creating work reflective of the specific location and communities in which the biennials take place. When contemplating the biennial as a commissioning agent, there are a number of questions to be asked, including: does the emphasis on commissions reflect an interest in working with artists and local communities, or is it simply the result of curatorial ambitions? Have biennial exhibitions in some way changed the nature or tenor of contemporary art being made or produced? Conversely are biennials the direct product and development of contemporary art? What is the role of site specificity – and is it inherent to the biennial as an exhibition format?