Biennials: Competing (In Sometimes Bizarre Ways) For Artists, And Audience

“Now that there’s a glut of biennials, triennials and other festivals worldwide, not to mention the art fairs that serve as their commercial counterparts, the competition for visitors is fierce. It isn’t just biennial fatigue — it’s almost a backlash. Why go to a biennial today when there are so many other venues for discovering new art? What does a biennial offer that making the rounds at galleries can’t? Driven by such issues, many U.S. biennials are rethinking, refining or just plain abandoning their missions.”