XIII BIENNIAL

CONCEPT

The XIII Edition of the Biennial of young artist from Europe and the Mediterranean will be held in Puglia (south Italy) from 22nd to 31st May 2008.

It will be promoted by the Bjcem and organized by Regione Puglia.

The Biennial arrives in Puglia at its 13th edition, from 1985 on it passed from Barcelona (1985/1987), to Thessaloniki (1986), Bologna (1988), Marseille (1990), Valencia (1992), Lisbon (1994), Turin (1997), Rome (1999), Sarajevo (2001), Athens (2003), Naples (2005).

In the present international contex characterized by a crisis in cultural relations between North and South and an extended tension among the countries of the "Rive Sud" we want to spread the message that cultural differences are not a threat but represent an important resource to be exploited: cultural diversity plays a fundamental role and shall foster initiatives to open the dialogue within the Mediterranean, since comprehension is based on dialogue. Art is another form of dialogue and it has a crucial role, as culture, in the process of integration and reciprocal comprehension: it is understood by everyone without any need to share the same language.

Puglia 2008 - Project and Venues

The Region Puglia, for its geographical position and its Mediterranean vocation, is consider a crossroad between East and West, an area for the dialogue and the cultural exchanges.

The project foresee to host the productions of the XIII Biennale in the whole region, creating a real artistic network on the basis of cultural, social and economic vocations of the Puglia territory.

This statement would allow to reply in many towns some artistic disciplines (for ex. Images in the Move, Performances or Readings) in order to permit the audience of wide areas of the region to assist to the held artistic productions, as well as to concentrate in other towns some artistic disciplines (for examples exhibitions) catalyzing the cultural and economic realities of the region which are specialized in that field (galleries, Academies etc. spread in the region).

The venues surely suggest an everyday practice, developing symbolic imaginaries and creating an added value: maybe Puglia is one of the Italian regions which express at best these concepts thanks to its richness and artistic, architectural, historic and cultural varieties.

In the whole region there will be venues set up to host the artistic disciplines forecast by the Call for participants of the Biennale, thought to favour as possible the disciplinary meetings in a sort of large area of free cultural exchange.

We would be in a huge artistic bag in the Euro-Mediterranean area, which will make Puglia the meeting point of social, economic, politic and geographic reference for artists, operators and public and private institutions.

The theme for the XIII Edition of The Biennial 2008 is: "Our Creative Diversity: kairos " (Greek word pronounced keeros, meaning fit time, opportunity, a point in time where change is possible).

"Our Creative Diversity: kairos"

"kairos" is a possibility of change in the city, and feel the vigorous urge towards its further evolution. We have witnessed so much damage and dismay, there is a will building towards that "kairos" point in time where change can take place all over the Mediterranean Region and especially in the south and Middle East.

"kairos" time is also approaching for artists of all kinds. Art has its uses as well as beauty that addresses our deepest feelings. Art can be intense and provoke, raise our awareness, and soothe our feelings. Young artists especially have a fresh approach and can urge their audience to face up to new standards, see new ways. Young artists can transcend the limits that tradition and inertia have imposed and face the new possibilities. They can depict and interpret, raise issues, propose a change, add comprehension, express dismay, raise hope. So also it can be used to enhance and encourage evolution of thought at critical times, at a "kairos" time.

Artistic Fields:
Opening up for Visual Arts
Feeling (emotion and sympathy) for Applied Arts
Confronting change for Cinema and video
Seeing (awakening and awareness) for Shows
Communication (reaching out) for Literature and Poetry
Hearing (tuning in) for Music
Tasting and smelling (experience) for Gastronomy


To participate

To participate to the Biennial a Public Call for Competitions has been launched in all countries taking part in the Biennial 2007. The selections of the participants has been realized by local and national juries of art critics and experts of the different areas (where there are Associations or Municipalities members of the BJCEM).

The PUBLIC CALL has been closed on 30th April

The selection is open to all the young artists from 18 to 30 years old: for the Show Area the Age limit is 35 for directors and choreographers.

The XIII Biennale is organized in seven Artistic Areas, each of them including several disciplines.
Visual Arts (Plastic Arts, Photography, Installation, Performance, Video Art, Comic Strip, Cyber Art)
Applied Arts (Architecture, Visual/ Industrial/ Web design, Fashion, Digital Creations)
Images on the Move (Cine, Video, Animated Films)
Show (Theatre, Dance, Urban Acts)
Literature (Writing, Poetry)
Music (Rock, Pop, Jazz, Folk/ Ethno, Contemporary, Digital, Dj's)
Gastronomy Area

Before, during and after the Biennial various workshops will be organized in order to give to the artists the opportunity to cooperate through art and to operate in a multicultural contest. Participating countries

More than 1,000 young artists from 46 European and Mediterranean countries will participate to the XIII Biennial: it is the first time that other 18 countries from the European Union are going to participate along with the 27 countries of last Edition held in Naples on September 2005.

46 participating countries: all Europe (25 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom), "Rive sud" (10 countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey), Greater Mediterranean (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, FYROM, Serbia, Montenegro) with Kosovo, Norway, Republic of San Marino, and Rom Nation.

The XIII Edition of the Biennial will represent an important moment of inclusion and cooperation involving many Euro-Mediterranean countries. It will be a window open on different cultures, languages, and lifestyles; it will give the opportunity for promoting dialogue and the youth artistic flair.

http://www.bjcem.org/en/puglia2008/ 

http://www.bjcem.org/tentolini