Biennale

The Venice Biennale, first held in 1895, is the precedent most often named. In the 1990s biennials multiplied, and the number around the world grew from about five to more than 250. Taipei's own, the Taipei Biennial organized by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, became international in 1998 with Site of Desire, curated by Fumio Nanjo. A biennale usually has a curator or a curatorial team who set a theme and invite artists, and its venues are often spread across a city. The first Tainan Art Biennale takes its theme, Unfolding Circuits, from the roundabout at Tang Te-chang Memorial Park, where seven roads meet: seven curators each lead a sub-theme, and the works are spread over 16 core venues and 16 satellite venues.

At each venue, first read the sub-theme at the entrance, then choose one work and think about how it relates to the idea of a circuit.

What does this work let you see that you would not see if it stood outside this theme?

• Art fair 藝術博覽會→A biennale is selected by curators around a theme; an art fair is a market where galleries rent booths to show and sell work.