EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OF THE 4TH MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL BIENNALE FOR YOUNG ART "WISE ADVICE"

In the summer of 2014, Moscow hosts the International Biennale for Young Art for the fourth time. This year, Artistic Director of the Biennale is David Elliott, who proposed the motto A Time for Dreams as the general Biennale theme, and selected works for the main project.

The educational program of the Biennale, curated by Antonio Geusa and coordinated by Ekaterina Razdumina, is entitled Wise Advice, and aims at helping young artists to find answers to various questions that concern their creative growth and career development.   

Antonio Geusa on the educational program of the Biennale:

“Russian contemporary art is still very young. At least, that is true of its audience. <…> Russian education system still offers no graduate program in contemporary art. In the last few years, a number of art institutions have started to fill this gap by offering young artists, critics and curators the opportunity to get a solid educational base in the field. However, many young artists feel that they lack the skills to filter the impetus of their creativity and select the right material from their portfolios to present to curators, gallery owners, directors of art institutions or potential sponsors.

Wise Advice, the educational program of the Biennale, can be helpful for them as it concentrated on various and effective practical and theoretical recommendations given by experienced colleagues to artists, curators, art critics and historians who are yet to build their careers in contemporary art.

Moscow Biennale for Young Art is a unique opportunity for artists to engage with each other in open discussions about art. A series of informal and lively meet-the-artist talks will help to achieve it. The list of speakers includes acclaimed ‘stars’ – whose advice can open the eyes and minds of young artists – as well as participants of the Biennale’s main project (David Elliott’s exhibition A Time for Dreams) who are now taking their first steps in the field. 

The educational program is divided into four areas and offers a series of lectures and seminars throughout the whole duration of the Biennale:

Theory. Academic-type lectures examining the historical and philosophical implications of the concept of the main exhibition, A Time for Dreams, curated by David Elliott, and the legacy of Russian avant-garde (probably the most influential ‘dreamers’ in the history of art).

Strategy Planning. Seminars aimed at helping young artists to improve the way they pitch their ideas and promote their works. These lectures offer valuable guidance on practical questions, such as creating a portfolio, making an effective presentation, defending copyright and applying for funding.

Exhibiting Art. Informal talks that examine in detail the practicalities of showing a work to a wide audience. In particular, the lectures examine in depth the differences and similarities between being a curator and being an artist.

Artists’ Talks. Talks and question & answer sessions led by world-famous artists and by young artists – participants of the current and previous Biennales, speaking about their artistic paths. 

You can find the schedule of lectures on the website: http://youngart.ru/events?en&bid=25&mid=325.