Artists and Projects

Liverpool Biennial: engaging art, people and place

Liverpool Biennial is among the most successful art commissioning agencies in the UK, best known for presenting the UK’s largest festival of contemporary visual art. Established in 1998, 2010 will see the 6th festival take place between 18th September and 28th November - click here to visit the festival section of the website. Since its inception, the International exhibition has commissioned well over 100 new works, many for the streets and public spaces of Liverpool, by established contemporary artists from around the world.

Liverpool Biennial also has a year-round role commissioning art for the public realm. Past projects include Antony Gormley’s stunning work Another Place, which has found a permanent home at Crosby beach, and the highly acclaimed Turning the Pace Over by Richard Wilson, which literally turns a building inside-out.

The mission through all our activities is engaging art, people and place. We do this by commissioning artworks and other programmes collaboratively, in partnership with a myriad of organisations and individuals, from the city’s established art institutions to community groups in local neighbourhoods. These activities find support from a range of local authorities, private trusts and regeneration agencies in the city region and beyond.

We also work towards ambitious educational objectives, through a programme of activities developed within the context of the work we commission. We play a key role in the ongoing development of Liverpool as a place for artists to learn, live and work, and engage in discourse-based activity with peers locally, nationally and internationally.

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"It’s easy to be creative about our city Liverpool, as there is so much to see and do here. Historically we have evolved from slave traders of the British Empire to world beaters in sports, art and music. And as a city we tend to support each other regardless of our backgrounds when we see that one of ours has been treated unjust. Although still growing, we feel the ability to progress has always been there. Only difference now is others are starting to notice."

Douglas, 14/12/2009
"I think liverpool is one of the biggest culture shareing communitys in the UK i find it very intregueing to go there and see whats new and see how they become more inventive with the things round about liverpool i know the 08 capital of culture really sparked peoples plugs and alot of people contributed toward it we had the spider and all sorts going on i find it an inspiration to all artists and the public all over the world for liverpool to be there and do what it does best."

stephanie reid aka puncegirl, 07/09/2009
"everybody is culturally sharing at all times; but yes merseyside is a sharing place and has a nice open community of activity BUT any kind of notion that one city is better culturally than another is obviously suspect; all we can do is foster support and participate in whatever drives and inspires us whether its art or something else with or without public spectacle in whatever place we find ourself living. Empty spectacle (the spider) and pointless comparisons of cities reinforces limits on independent creativity even tho at the time its a good crack and inspires many."

anon, 09/10/2009

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Artists and Projects

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