Liverpool Biennial Receives Major Award from the Gulbenkian Foundation

08/02/08

Liverpool Biennial is delighted to announce that the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will support a series of new commissions by European artists over a three-year period. The award for the Gulbenkian European Commissions begins in 2008, Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture, and continues until 2010.

Celebrating 10 years of commissioning ambitious and challenging new work by leading and emerging international artists, Liverpool Biennial’s 2008 International exhibition takes ‘Made Up’ as its theme. A number of Europe’s foremost artists have been commissioned to respond to this as part of the Gulbenkian award.

Lewis Biggs, Director of Liverpool Biennial, said, “We are delighted with this award, which recognises the intrinsic fit between the Gulbenkian’s ambition and record in supporting the realisation of top quality art from across Europe, and our own. This award will enable some impressive new commissions for Made Up, our 2008 international exhibition, and our development of an equally ambitious programme for 2010.”

Andrew Barnett, Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in the UK, said: “This major award to Liverpool Biennial reflects three of the Gulbenkian Foundation’s main interests: the making of adventurous new artworks; working with an established organisation outside London; and promoting a pan-European perspective.”

Established in 1998, Liverpool Biennial is the UK’s largest and most widely reviewed festival of contemporary visual art, and contributed significantly to the award of the title European Capital of Culture 2008 to the city of Liverpool. It is a major player in the cultural economy: the 2006 festival received 400,000 visitors, 50% travelling from outside the Merseyside region and created an additional £13.5m spend in the city. The 2004 festival won the Northwest regional title Best Tourism Event and was runner up (to The London Eye) for the accolade Best Tourism Experience in the national Enjoy England Awards for Excellence organised by Visit Britain.