“Geneva has magnificent parks and a dynamic contemporary art scene. Thanks to artgenève, which initiated this event, we are very happy to be able to offer Genevans and summer visitors a sculpture Biennale, which will be held from June 8 to September 8 in Parc des Eaux-Vives.
Works taken from Genevan collections or loaned by private partners are therefore put on display amid the greenery—works that converse with their environment, that call attention to themselves through their monumentality.
The works might also be living a second life, as in the case of Denis Savary’s performance: an activation of small-scale models of hot-air balloons, first presented in the winter cold during the Geneva Lux Festival. Or they were specially created for the Biennale, like Martina-Sofie Wildberger’s performance. Both beautiful projects were supported by City of Geneva / Contemporary Art Fund (FMAC).
One of the missions that matter to us is to make it possible for the whole population to see sculptures outside of their usual dedicated sites: art is a door to understanding our world, to seeing our environment from a different perspective, to being more open to others.
Exhibition curator Lionel Bovier (Director of MAMCO) and the organization committee have chosen to give prominence to local artists in order to highlight the importance and quality of Genevan art. By skillfully bringing them into dialogue with international artists, it is a sure bet that this event will also promote our city outside its borders!
To accompany this stroll, the FMAC is offering educational materials that will enable everyone to take possession of the works and approach them differently, thanks to knowledge imparted by art historians.
A stroll among these works, then a concert on the Ella Fitzgerald Stage in the adjacent Parc La Grange: summer in Geneva will be cultural, bucolic and convivial!“
Sami Kanaan
Mayor of Geneva
&
Guillaume Barazzone
Administrative Councilor in charge of the Department of Urban Environment and Security
“The Sculpture Biennale of Geneva is holding its first edition this summer, in the majestic Parc des Eaux-Vives. It follows on from the initiative of artgenève to present sculptures in public spaces, on Quai Wilson during the fair, and in this same park in the summer of 2016. For the artistic scene in Geneva, the objective is to provide a second date to be inscribed in the international calendar of contemporary art events and, for the public, it is a new free offer during the summer season.
The exhibition has been conceived as a journey, an invitation for a stroll along the pathways of the park, while discovering contemporary artistic productions. They have been laid out as a series of encounters offered to the visitors, either in a dialogue with the landscape, or else in contrast with it, through the incursion of urban themes. One discovers, among other things, a giant mushroom and a bronze lightning-struck tree, as well as phone booths made over for another use and a flying saucer… 14 works inhabit, for a summer, the alleys and the pastures, the trees and the groves of the landscaped park Genevans appreciate so much.
The organization committee of the exhibition wants this event to have an institutional and public dimension which is different from the premises that led to its conception. Thus, several works come from public collections and some projects have been specially produced for the occasion. Furthermore, performances enliven the entire duration of the event and offer forms that have more to do with the ephemeral than with monumental sculpture. A mediation program also allows those who want to delve further into the discoveries they have made during this journey.
Enjoy your visit!”
Lionel Bovier
Director of MAMCO and curator of the 2018 Biennale
Organizing commitee : Lionel Bovier, MAMCO ; Michèle Freiburghaus Lens, FMAC ; Thomas Hug, artgenève
In collaboration with : Manuella Denogent, FCAC (projet of Roman Signer) ; Michael Goodchild, artgenève sculptures ; Marie-Eve Knoerle, FMAC