The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York has unveiled the roster of 69 artists and two collectives set to participate in the highly anticipated 81st edition of its renowned Whitney Biennial, scheduled to debut on March 20.
Traditionally viewed as a snapshot of the contemporary American art landscape, the Whitney Biennial has garnered international attention for its spotlight on emerging talents while also championing under-recognized mid- and late-career artists in recent iterations.
Curated by Chrissie Iles and Meg Onli, both seasoned in their curatorial endeavors, the upcoming Biennial, titled “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” delves into nuanced explorations of ‘the real’ amidst the backdrop of a society navigating the complexities of artificial intelligence and grappling with evolving dialogues on identity.
Embracing a diverse array of perspectives, the Biennial’s thematic arc revolves around the fluidity of identity, historical and contemporary land stewardship, and the embodiment of urgent societal narratives, among other compelling throughlines.
This edition stands as one of the most expansive to date, boasting a rich assortment of artists contributing to the curation of the film and performance programs. Noteworthy collaborations include artist Korakrit Arunanondchai, Asinnajaq, Greg de Cuir Jr, and filmmaker Zackary Drucker, whose collective expertise promises to enrich the Biennial’s cinematic landscape.
Innovatively, the film program, typically confined to screenings within the museum, will venture into the digital realm, offering broader accessibility to audiences beyond the museum’s walls.
Compared to its predecessor, this edition of the Biennial skews towards a younger cohort, with many artists born within the past four decades. While seasoned luminaries like Suzanne Jackson, Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Harmony Hammond, and Pippa Garner anchor the lineup, the majority of participants are in the nascent stages of their careers.
The roster features familiar faces from the biennial circuit, including Raqs Media Collective and Isaac Julien, alongside talents showcased at esteemed international platforms like the Venice and Sharjah Biennials.
A noteworthy shift in demographics is evident, with a significant representation of non-white artists and a diversity of gender identities shaping the Biennial’s narrative landscape. While there is a notable decrease in Latinx participants compared to previous years, the Biennial’s embrace of varied perspectives underscores its commitment to reflecting the evolving contours of contemporary art discourse.
As the Whitney Biennial prepares to unfold, it promises to serve as a dynamic crucible of artistic expression, engaging audiences in profound dialogues and challenging perceptions of reality in our rapidly evolving world.
Top Photo: Mónica Arreola, Valle San Pedro From Whitney Biennial 2022: Quiet As It’s Kept
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Full Artist List:
Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio (he/him)
Born 1990 in Los Angeles, CA
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
Dora Budor (she/her)
Born 1984 in Zagreb, Croatia
Lives in New York, NY
Seba Calfuqueo (she/her/they/them)
Born 1991 in Santiago, Chile
Lives in Ngulumapu, Wallmapu (Chile)
Demian DinéYazhi’ (they/them)
Born in 1983 in Gallup, NM (Diné Bikéyah [Navajo Nation])
Lives in Portland, OR, and elsewhere
Torkwase Dyson (she/her)
Born 1973 in Chicago, IL
Lives in Beacon, NY
Jerome Ellis (any/all)
Born 1989 in Groton, CT
Lives in Norfolk, VA
Jes Fan (he/him/they/them)
Born 1990 in Scarborough, Canada
Lives in Brooklyn, NY, and Hong
Nikita Gale
Born 1983 in Anchorage, AK, Dënéndeh and Dena’ina Ełnena
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
actor Garcia
Born in 1985 in Red Bluff, CA
Lives in Mexico City, Mexico, and elsewhere
Pippa Garner (she/her)
Born 1942 in Evanston, IL
Lives in Long Beach, CA
Harmony Hammond (she/her)
Born 1944 in Chicago, IL
Lives in Galisteo, NM
Sharon Hayes (she/her)
Born 1970 in Baltimore, MD
Lives in Philadelphia, PA
Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst
Holly Herndon (she/her)
Born 1980 in Johnson City, TN
Mat Dryhurst (he/him)
Born 1984 in Birmingham, UK
Lives in Berlin, Germany
Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich (she/her)
Born 1987 in New York, NY
Lives in New York, NY
Suzanne Jackson (she/her)
Born in 1944 in St. Louis, MO
Lives in Savannah, GA
Isaac Julien
Born 1960 in London, UK
Lives in London, UK, and Santa Cruz, CA
Lotus L. Kang (she/her)
Born in 1985 in Toronto, Canada
Lives in New York, NY
Mary Kelly (she/her)
Born in 1941 in Fort Dodge, IA
Lives in New York, NY
Carolyn Lazard (they/them)
Born 1987 in San Bernardino, CA
Lives in New York, NY
Dionne Lee (she/her/they/them)
Born 1988 in New York, NY
Lives in Columbus, OH
Ligia Lewis (she/her)
Born 1983 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Lives in Berlin, Germany
Mary Lovelace O’Neal (she/her)
Born 1942 in Jackson, MS
Lives in Oakland, CA, and Merida, Mexico
Cannupa Hanska Luger (he/him)
Born 1979 in Fort Yates, ND (Standing Rock Reservation)
Lives in Glorieta, NM
K.R.M. Mooney (he/him)
Born 1990 in Seattle, WA
Lives in Brooklyn, NY
Dala Nasser
Born in 1990 in Tyre, Lebanon
Lives in Beirut, Lebanon, and London, UK
Diane Severin Nguyen (she/her)
Born in 1990 in Carson, CA
Lives in New York, NY
Karyn Olivier (she/her)
Born 1968 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Lives in Philadelphia, PA
B. Ingrid Olson
Born in 1987 in Denver, CO
Lives in Chicago, IL
Eamon Ore-Giron (he/him)
Born 1973 in Tucson, AZ
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
People Who Stutter Create
Founded 2023
Jia Bin, Delicia Daniels, JJJJJerome Ellis, Conor Foran, Kristel Kubart
Julia Phillips (she/her)
Born 1985 in Hamburg, Germany
Lives in Chicago, IL
Mavis Pusey (she/her)
Born 1928 in Retreat, Jamaica
Died 2019 in Falmouth, VA
Maja Ruznic (she/her)
Born 1983 in Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Yugoslavia)
Lives in Placitas, NM
Ser Serpas (she/her)
Born 1995 in East Los Angeles, CA
Lives in New York, NY
Rose B. Simpson (she/her)
Born in 1990 in Santa Fe, NM
Lives in Santa Clara Pueblo, NM
P. Staff (they/them)
Born 1987 in the UK
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
Clarissa Tossin (she/her)
Born 1973 in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
Tourmaline (she/her)
Born 1983 in Boston, MA
Lives in New York, NY
Charisse Pearlina Weston (she/her)
Born 1988 in Houston, TX
Lives in New York, NY
Kiyan Williams (they/them)
Born in 1991 in Newark, NJ
Lives in Brooklyn, NY
Carmen Winant (she/her)
Born 1983 in San Francisco, CA
Lives in Columbus, OH
Takako Yamaguchi (she/her)
Born 1952 in Okayama, Japan
Lives in Santa Monica, CA
Constantina Zavitsanos (any/all)
Born 1977 in Reading, PA
Lives in New York, NY
Film Program Artists:
Siku Allooloo (she/her)
Born in 1986 in Yellowknife, Canada
Lives in Bowser, Canada
Seba Calfuqueo (she/her/they/them)
Born 1991 in Santiago, Chile
Lives in Ngulumapu, Wallmapu (Chile)
Christopher Harris (he/him)
Born 1962 in St. Louis, MO
Lives in Coralville, IA
Miranda Haymon
Born 1993 in Boston, MA
Lives in Brooklyn, NY
Ho Tzu Nyen (he/him)
Born 1976 in Singapore
Lives in Singapore
Yasmine Anlan Huang (she/her)
Born 1996 in Guangzhou, China
Lives in London, UK, and
New York, NY
Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich (she/her)
Born 1987 in New York, NY
Lives in New York, NY
Aron Kantor (he/him/they/them)
Born 1978 in San Francisco, CA
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
Kite (she/her)
Born 1990 in Sylmar, CA
Lives in Ancram, NY
Gbenga Komolafe and Tee Park
Gbenga Komolafe
(they/them/he/him/she/her)
Born 2000 in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria
Tee Park
(she/her)
Born 1999 in Seoul, South Korea
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
Jenni Laiti (she/her)
Born 1981 in Anár, Sápmi (Inari, Finland)
Lives in Jåhkämåhkke, Sápmi (Jokkmokk, Sweden)
Shuang Li (she/her)
Born in 1990 in Wuyi Mountains, China
Lives in Berlin, Germany, and Geneva, Switzerland
Simon Liu (he/him)
Born 1987 in Hong Kong
Lives in Brooklyn, NY
Nyala Moon (she/her)
Born 1992 in New York, NY
Lives in the Brooklyn, NY
Niillasaš-Jovnna Máreha Juhani Sunná Máret – Sunna Nousuniemi (they/them)
Born 1993 in Anár, Sápmi
Lives in Anár, Sápmi
Edward Owens (he/him)
Born 1949 in Chicago, IL
Died 2010 in Chicago, IL
Sydney Frances Pascal (she/her)
Born 1993 in Nanaimo, Canada
Lives in Vancouver, Canada
Raqs Media Collective
Founded 1992 in Delhi, India
Jeebesh Bachi, Monica Marula, Shuddhabrata Sengupta
Riar Rizaldi (he/him)
Born 1990 in Bandung, Indonesia
Lives in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Penelope Spheeris (she/her)
Born 1945 in New Orleans, LA
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
Lada Suomenrinne (they/them)
Born 1995 in Murmansk, Russia
Lives in Espoo, Finland, and Njuorggán, Sápmi
Alisi Telengut (she/her)
Born in 1989 in Inner Mongolia (Telengut and Mongolian nations)
Lives in Berlin, Germany, and Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, Canada
Chanelle Tyson (they/them)
Born 1989 in Greensboro, NC
Lives in Los Angeles, CA
Zulaa Urchuud (she/her)
Born 1991 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Lives in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Performance Program Artists:
Holland Andrews (they/them)
Born 1988 in Orange, CA
Lives in Brooklyn, NY
Debit (she/her)
Born in 1986 in Monterrey, Mexico
Lives in New York, NY
Jerome Ellis (any/all)
Born 1989 in Groton, CT
Lives in Norfolk, VA
Sarah Hennies (she/her)
Born 1979 in Louisville, KY
Lives in Red Hook, NY
Alex Tatarsky (they/them)
Born 1989 in New York, NY
Lives in New York, NY, and Philadelphia, PA