The 28th Biennial of Graphic Arts
The Matrix: An Unstable Reality

Artistic Director:

Božidar Zrinski

Curators:

Božidar Zrinski

Gülsen Bal & Alenka Gregorič

Petja Grafenauer

Jadranka Ljubičič

Tadej Pogačar

Grand Prix:

Justseeds

4. 9.–25. 10. 2009

Number of artists in the main exhibition: 98

Number of artists with new commissioned works: 21

Main exhibition venues:

International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC), Alkatraz Gallery, Ganes Pratt Gallery, Kapsula Gallery, Škuc Gallery, Jakopič Gallery, public and media spaces (Ljubljana), billboards (Ljubljana), poster sites (Ljubljana), the catalogue of the 28th Biennial of Graphic Arts

The main exhibition The Matrix: An Unstable Reality focused on the contemporary graphic arts in the broadest sense. Upon the initiative of the International Centre of Graphic Arts, which proposed the thematic starting point of the main exhibition, individual galleries participated in the development and co-creation of the idea, also becoming the venues of the Biennial: Alkatraz Gallery, Ganes Pratt Gallery, Jakopič Gallery, Kapsula Gallery and Škuc Gallery. In such a way, the main exhibition responded to certain topical questions for society and art raised by the cult movie trilogy The Matrix. It attempted to answer cogent questions such as: Does the medium stay the same even when it incorporates new technologies into its discourse? Does this increase the art audience? What is the social power of those who possess the matrix? Is the possession of the matrix enough to also justify exclusive reproduction rights? Can we create a perfect world, be it real or virtual?

The exhibition offered a selection of more than eighty internationally established and emerging artists, whose work extended from traditional and contemporary printmaking to artists’ books as well as interventions in the public space, in the mass media and on computers.

In addition to the main exhibition, the 28th Biennial of Graphic Arts also included the Artists’ Book Salon, the exhibition After Gogo: A New Era of Korean Art, based on a proposal by the Grand Prize recipient of the previous Biennial, and an extensive accompanying programme.


Artists

  • Afsoon
  • Vahram Aghasyan
  • Julieta Aranda
  • Nika Autor
  • BAS/Bent
  • Viktor Bernik
  • Sabine Bitter, Helmut Weber
  • BridA (Sendi Mango, Jurij Pavlica, Tom Kerševan)
  • Bu Hua
  • Chto Delat (Dmitry Vilensky)
  • Ksenija Čerče
  • Vuk Ćosić
  • Anita Di Bianco
  • Vesna Drnovšek
  • Igor Eškinja
  • Jesper Fabricius
  • Jakup Ferri
  • Ivan Fijolić
  • Fernando García
  • Samuel Grajfoner
  • Ivan Grubanov
  • Dejan Habicht
  • Hungarian Double-Tailed Dog
  • Ištvan Išt Huzjan
  • Invader
  • Justseeds (Roger Peet, Meredith Stern, Mary Tremonte, Shaun Slifer, Josh McPhee, Colin Matthes, Dylan Miner, Santiago Armengod, Thea Gahr, Erik Ruin, Bec Young, Pete Yahnke, Kevin Caplicki, Molly Fair, Jesse Purcell)
  • Dejan Kaludjerović
  • David Kareyan
  • Sameera Khan
  • Taiyo Kimura
  • Matej Košir
  • Iva Kovač
  • Jelena Kovačević
  • Borut Krajnc
  • La Más Bella
  • Tanja Lažetić
  • Lee Chul Soo
  • Jørgen Craig Lello, Tobias Arnell
  • Ligyung
  • Nicola López
  • Ana Lozica
  • M-City (Mariusz Waras)
  • Małgorzata ET BER Warlikowska
  • Ján Mančuška
  • Ines Matijević Cakić
  • Eva Mattes, Franco Mattes
  • Tracey Moffatt
  • Carlos Motta
  • Ivan Moudov
  • Alban Muja
  • Nika Oblak, Primož Novak
  • Ahmet Öğüt
  • Juan Pérez Agirregoikoa
  • Cesare Pietroiusti
  • Nada Prlja
  • radioCona
  • Betsabeé Romero
  • Francesc Ruiz
  • Adrian Sauer
  • Klaus Schafler
  • Nana Shiomi
  • Société Réaliste
  • Jelena Sredanović
  • Katja Sudec
  • Therese Sunngren
  • Swoon
  • Miha Štrukelj
  • Marko Tadić
  • Tomaž Tomažin
  • Nasan Tur
  • Ignacio Uriarte
  • Huiqin Wang
  • Patrick Ward
  • Moises Yagües Fernandez
  • Ye Fu Na
  • Maria Alicia Zamora Noguera
  • Katarina Zdjelar
  • Zhang Minjie

International Jury

  • Katia Anguelova
  • Bassam El Baroni
  • Jota Castro
  • Valerija Ibraeva
  • Eha Komissarov
  • Julia Moritz
  • Jeongyeon Kim

Other Exhibitions and Projects

Accompanying Programme

Publications

Biennale Organisation

Producer: International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC).
Co-producers: Cankarjev dom, Alkatraz Gallery, Ganes Pratt Gallery, Kapsula Gallery, Škuc Gallery, Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana, Pionirski dom − Art center, Stripburger/Forum Ljubljana, The National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia.
Director of MGLC: Lilijana Stepančič.
Artistic Director: Božidar Zrinski.
Curators: Božidar Zrinski, Gülsen Bal & Alenka Gregorič, Petja Grafenauer, Jadranka Ljubičič, Tadej Pogačar.
Corporate Design of the Biennial: ZEK crew.
Public Relations, Educational and Promotional Programs: Lili Šturm, Karla Železnik.