The Whitney Biennial
NEW YORK CITY
Every two years in springtime, writers, artists, curators, collectors, and art lovers descend on the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City for the Whitney Biennial—the show the critics love to hate. Artists today work in more genres, using a greater variety of materials than ever before. The Whitney Biennial aims to take the pulse of American art through the work of emerging and established artists, whose work embodies the hippest and hottest trends and styles. Begun in 1932, shortly after the museum was founded, the Biennial is regarded as one of the leading exhibitions of its kind, often faltering but never failing to intrigue and titillate. Originally designed to showcase new paintings and sculptures by American artists, the museum changed formats in 1973 to include all media to better reflect the changing landscape of American art.
Since the Whitney Biennial is not easily categorized or organized around a single subject, style, movement, or artist, numerous critiques and controversies follow it. Some argue that the Whitney Biennial is provincial, behind the times, and no longer relevant; that one can see more relevant and interesting art at any number of the global art fairs. As the Whitney grapples with its identity, many of the artists involved pose questions about what it means to be American. Is the Whitney Biennial truly “American” if the curators (and a number of the artists) have only tangential ties to the United States? Whatever the case may be, if art is a reflection of our times, the Whitney Biennial is one mirror we can use to explore contemporary trends in American art. —SBR