THE BIENNIAL BRIDGE

Ren Luo & Yue Zhou

SHOHEI SHIGEMATSU & CHRISTINE J CHENG 2013 SPRING

1895

BEFORE 1950

1951-1960

1961-1970

1971-1980

1981-1990

1991-2000

2001-2010

2011-NOW

Biennale From 1895 To 1950

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VENICE BIENNALE, ITALY

LONDON OPEN, ENGLANDCARNEGIE INTERNATIOANL BIENNALE, USA

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1895

1932

1950

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1895

BEFORE 1950

1951-1960

1961-1970

1971-1980

1981-1990

1991-2000

2001-2010

2011-NOW

Biennale From 1951 To 1990

HAVANA BIENNALE, CUBA

1950

1983

1990

DOCUMENTA, GERMANY

SAO PAULO BIENNALE, BRAZIL

1951

1955

1961

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1940

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1968

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Fran

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1980

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1989

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1895

BEFORE 1950

1951-1960

1961-1970

1971-1980

1981-1990

1991-2000

2001-2010

2011-NOW

Biennale From 1991 To Now

LIVERPOOL BIENNALE, UK

MARRAKECH BIENNALE, MOROCCO

GWANGJU BIENNALE, KOREA

D-0 ARK BIENNALE, BOSNIA

SHANGHAI BIENNALE, CHINA

1995

2005

1999

1996

2011

2010

1990

2000

2001

9/1

1

2009

Fin

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1991

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Perennials’ historic time-line

· Venice as capital of art in europe· Keep venice as a major tourism attraction· Art market

· A platform for local (east end) emerging artists who had no chance to exhibit in major institue

· Introduce modern art into Pittsburg;

artworks for his museum

· Link between Brazil and the international scene · Stimulating the local artistic circuit and promoting Brazilian art and Brazil abroad

· Introduce modern art banned by NAZI back into Germany· 1st public museum in Euro

Riccardo Selvatico

VENICE BIENNIALsince 1895

LONDON OPENsince 1932

CARNEIGIE INERNATIONALBIENNIALsince 1950

SAO PAULO BIENNIALsince 1957

DOCUMENTAsince 1957

· To introduce and display Third World, non-western art works

· In memory of spirits of civil uprising of the 1980 repression of the Gwangju

· Provides a platform for the showcase of contemporary art production· Expand Shanghai’s importance as the ‘gateway to the west’ through the arts sector

· By occupying many venues across the city centre it ensured that visitors could discover the rich character of Liverpool as they experience the art

· Promote the status of the artist and contemporary culture in North Africa and to dynamize the regional creative scene

· Transform the ARK into a prestigious regional cultural institution that stays at the forefront in research and promotion of new artistic trends

· Give an opportunity to view a focused global

an immense added value.

HAVANA BIENNIALsince 1983

GWANGJU BIENNIALsince 1995

SHANGHAI BIENNIALsince 1996

LIVERPOOL BIENNIALsince 1999

MARRAKECH BIENNIALsince 2005

D-O ARK BIENNIALsince 2011

BIENNIAL ONLINEsince 2013

Charles Aitken

Andrew Carnegie

Arnold Bode Edo Hozic

Vanessa Branson

James Moores

Francisco Matarazzo Sobrinho

Initial Founding Reasons

HAVANA BIENNIAL

MARRAKECH BIENNIAL

LONDON OPEN (TRIENNIAL)

D-0 ARK

SHANGHAI BIENNIAL

SAO PAULO BIENNIAL

CARNEGIE BIENNIAL

GWANGJU BIENNIAL

DOCUMENTA

VENICE BIENNIAL

LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL

Perennial Scale

“ ... ... establish Sao Paulo as an international art centre”

“Kassel as Documenta City”

“(Gwangju as) Aisa’s cultural window to the world”

“The Biennial aims to expand Shanghai’s importance as the ‘ gateway to the west’ through the arts sector”

“... ... seeks to invoke the latent cosmopolitan spirit of the modern metropolis of

Kochi and its mythical past, Muziris”

“Liverpool Biennial unfolds through a programme of exhibitions and projects that lead

to a rediscovery of the city.“

“... ... intends to be not only a great event in the artistic life of Moscow and Russia

but also to play an important social, cultural and political role internationally”

“... ... seeks to promote the status of the artist and contemporar culture in North

Africa and to dynamize regional creative scene”

“... ... collectively emhancing Singapore’s international image as a vibrant city to live, work, play”

“... ... broadened Taiwan’s artistic vision, its professional, exhibition-organisation

ability, and its exposure in the international media.”

“This motivates cultural exchanges based upon the principle captured by the Japanese expression “seikô udoku; kakô tôdoku”, which can be rendered in English as “In sum-mer, cultivate the fields; in winter, cultivate the mind.” Cultural facilities, created by global artists and run by local people, warmly welcome visitors and travellers. In viewing the artworks, the visitor passes through terraced rice fields and forests of native beech, encountering festivals and traditional customs, thereby

experiencing the landscapes and cultures of Echigo-Tsu-mari through all five senses.”

ART-PERENNIAS’ URBAN AMBITIONSOur attentions were drew by perennials’ urban ambitions after studies above. It lead us to the hypothesis: art perennial more and more oftenly try to address the hosting cities. What could be the relationship between the two? What kind of impact art perennials could have on contemporary urban lives?

MORE VENUES?The EXPO model requires perennial keeping expanding sites in order to satisfy its survive. It also create the concept of central pavilion- the hierarchy system of exhibition.

OUTDOOR INSTALLATION

MAIN VENUES

WORLD HERITAGE

ARSENALE

GISRDINI DI CASTELLO

PIAZZA SAN MARCO

AIRES MATEUSRADIX2012

VENICE BIENNALE now

NO VENUE?The Emergency Biennale radicaly denounced the model of current art exhibition, while adapting a way without any permenant facilities. It also denounce, for political reasons, local authority’s supports.

The lack of spaces cannot ensure the events’ continuity, and lack of a stable institute makes the event difficult to be promoted. As the matter of fact, the biennale does not survive.

A MONUMENT?Should the art perennial be monumentalized? The Sao Paulo Biennale has been held in the Pavilhão Ciccillo Matarazzo designed by Oscar Niemeyer, with 30,000 sqm exhibition spaces. The building stays empty in the gap years.

The 30th Sao Paulo Biennale, 2012

A Museum Event

The �rst three events of Sao Paulo Biennale were held in the Museum of Contemprary Art. During which time the museum was the biennial’s organizer as well.

Sao Paulo Fashion Week, 2009

In order to maintain the facility’s run-ning, the pavilon has been used as a public space for cultural activities, including advertising and tourism.

MORE FAIRS?Gwangju Biennale has been held in the Biennale Hall built for it. In order to ensure the space-as well as the city-be occupied all year long, more events were created to fill up the calender.

GWANGJUHUB CITY OF ASIAN CULTURE

ICON ...

Dominique PerraultUrban FollyGwangju Design Biennale, 2011

TURN STREET INTO GALLERY?Liverpool Biennale is the first one to aim on urban interventions. It allows art works in public spaces stand longer than the event itself. However, could art perennial make urban impact by simply putting artworks in public spaces? Those artworks are all shut down, despite their popularities, due to financial reasons.

Richard Wilson

Turning the Place Over

20 June 2007 - 8 January 2011

Turning the Place Over has been commissioned by Liv-erpool Biennial and co-funded by the Liverpool Culture Company, Northwest Regional Development Agency, CityFocus and The Northern Way.

Co-commissioned by the Liverpool Culture Company and Liverpool Biennial, co-funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency and The Northern Way, and facilitated by Liverpool Vision, the project was con-ceived as a stunning trailblazer for Liverpool’s Year as European Capital of Culture 2008, and the jewel in the crown of the Culture Company’s public art programme.

KOCHI BIENNALE?

As the first art perennial in India, Kochi biennale is not heavily financed by local authorities like Gwangju; it is also lack of major funding means like Venice or Sao Paulo. All exhibition now are held in historic buildings. Without permenant facilities and reasonable financial supports, how could it survive in this harsh ecnomic environment? How could art events adapt local urban developments and truely intervene into daily lives, playing a more functional role?

Won’t give more funds for Kochi Biennale, HCtoldAuthor: Express News Service

Published Date: Jan 9, 2013 11:30 AMLast Updated: Jan 9, 2013 11:30 AM

The petitioner submitted that the state had initially handed over Rs 5 crore for thebiennale.

The state government on Tuesday submitted before the Kerala High Court that it has not considered anyproposal so far to grant additional financial assistance to the Kochi Biennale Foundation for conducting theongoing Kochi­Muziris Biennale.

P G Unnikrishnan, Under Secretary to Government, Cultural Affairs Department, made the submission on apetition filed by G Ajith Kumar, secretary, Lantern Fine Arts Society, seeking a directive to restrain the state fromproviding additional financial assistance to the Kochi Biennale Foundation. The court also flayed the state fornot filing an affidavit and issued a directive to file a detailed counter­affidavit within ten days. The state furthersubmitted that a Cabinet meeting is scheduled to be held on January 10 and there is no agenda so far ongranting further assistance to the biennale.

The petitioner submitted that the state had initially handed over `5 crore for the biennale.

Meanwhile, the government is also planning to provide additional financial assistance to the foundation, withouttaking any steps to recover the funds already provided. The Cultural Department was in haste to disburse `5crore, he alleged in his petition.

The petitioner also sought a directive to expedite the Vigilance probe.

He submitted that the government has so far not executed the order to conduct the Vigilance probe asrecommended by the inspection wing of the Finance Department.

Copyright © 2012 The New Indian Express. All rights reserved.

“The artists and the scholars have the responsibility to make the government change the policies on art so thatinfrastructure comes up for promoting art in Kerala and the rest of the country”

Co-curator of Kochi BiennaleRiyas Komu

The solution is to combine Kochi Biennale with urban infrastructures, the later which has been well financed over the years, and will continue to be so in future. One of the major investments among them is bridge constructions.

KOCHI TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT PALN2006-2012 (Red stands for the per-centage of bridge constrction)

KOCHI INVESTMENT PALN: 2005-2012

transportation

40%

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

Education Kerala: Near Total Literacy

Kerala has one of the most ubiquitous education network in India. It does not only has the highest percentatge of literacy rate in the country, but also highest investments on education as well. And Kochi, as the biggest city in the state, is indeed a education center: it’s primary education system owns 34 government schools, 67 private aided schools and 31 unaided schools, with other dozen of higher education schools.

However Kochi is so far without any city-level library. The biggest librarian facility is Ernakulam Public Library, with 150,000 books of collection, while usually need 500,000 books to be a small city library.

Allowing the art facility contain other cultural programs is another way to keep the art space occupied. The library will become a constant motivation for people coming back.

Marine Drive is the most popular public space at Ernakulam, and even the entire Kochi Metropolis area. It is a three miles long walkway at the waterfront. The place is cool and breezy, both of which make the area standing out in Kochi’s unpleasant climate. The walkway has great view of the lagoon of Kochi (Backwater) and give people spaces to hang out.

However the success of Marine Drive reflects one embarrassment of the city: its lacking of decent public spaces. Both Ernakulam and Fort Kochi are packed with buildings and private lands, leaving no place for public parks or squares.

Hence another stratage is to merge art spaces with open public spaces. This brings provoked question: can art spaces become a part of street life? Could the boundary of art events and urban lives be blured with the efforts of architects?

RIVER ROAD

KALVATHI ROAD

BAZAAR ROAD

JEW TOWN ROAD

THOPPUMPADY BRIDGE

VENDURUTHY BRIDGE

MAHATMA GANDNI ROAD

PARK AVENUE

SHANMUGHAM ROAD

BY CAR: 9.7 KMWalking time: 2 hoursDriving time: 30 minutes (20km/hr)

BY CAR: 2.5 KM

RIVER ROAD

KALVATHI ROAD

BAZAAR ROAD

PARK AVENUE

SHANMUGHAM ROAD

Walking time: 30 minutesDriving time: 7.5 minutes (20km/hr)

Ernakulam

Fort Kochi

The metropolitan area of Kochi is divided into two main parts: Fort Kochi (the historic center), and Ernakulam (the modern city). In last one decade, all major infrastructure construction were taken place at Ernakulam. Fort Kochi is branded as the ‘living museum’.

However Fort Kochi is still high populated. It is dying because local residents are moving to Ernakulam for better services and living conditions. Hence in order to attract investments back to the old town, a link has to be built, bringing Fort Kochi back to the daily lives of this dynamic metropolis.

Bazarr Road and Marine Drive are two most popular pedistrian areas in the whole city. Yet they are poorly linked by current traffic systems. The new structure will be porposed to be built as a direct link of these two.

The new link will take advantage of its prime location to become a playground of some most exciting urban events. In the form of parade, the Carnival Festival is the most important public celebration regardless religious and social class’ differences. It has so far taken place only at Fort Kochi. However with the new bridge, it could strecth to Ernakulam, bringing the entire city together.

Kochi’s climate is a tropic monsoon one. It has some most extreme wether conditions through a year: high temperature and un-bearable humidity. The current venues of Kochi Biennale are basically re-using existing historic buildings. Fancy as they are, these facilities have no cooling systems; and most of them are with poor ventilation. People rarely stay inside a venue unless viewing time-based pieces like videos.

Yet the open or semi-open venues are popular among audiences due to better ventilation and comfortable natural environment. Hence, being relocated near waterfront and keep them semi-open, exhibition spaces could be improved. The programs will not be walled unless absolute necessary. Breeze from the massive water surface around will cool the air down all day long. The exhibition space will become more comfortable and more sustainable, while could housing more dynamic urban behaviors.

study models

THE PROPOSAL

We believe that instead of building extra spaces on bridge, the bridge itself should be the ‘building’. The bridging structure will at the same time be the architectural one. Therefore our design starts with researches on structure knowledges and debates.By applying different building methods the bridge is now capable to

adapt various urban contexts crossing with.

Craftsman Market, Fort Kochi side

Square, Fort Kochi side

Kochi Biennale Museum, Willington Island

Kochi Biennale Museum, Willington Island

Kochi City Library, Willington Island

Public Park, Ernakulam

section

Ground Floor Plan

Kochi City Library, 1f, Willington Island

Kochi City Library, 2f

art spaces/ urban walkway, 3f

bridge surface ( auto lanes)