Ai Weiwei, Beijing: The Second Ring, 2005. Video, 1 hour 6 minutes. Courtesy Ai Weiwei and Christine König Galerie, Vienna.

The Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Russia’s most prestigious contemporary art event, has finalized its selection of participants, now totalling 64 artists and 16 art groups from 33 countries.

Jeppe Hein, Spiral Labyrinth I, 2006. Dimensions: 200 x 512 x 428 cm, material: high polished mirror plate, aludibond, metal frame. Courtesy: Johann König, Berlin.

The title for the Biennale, “Rewriting Worlds”, proclaims that art is a sphere where new things are unceasingly generated, and contemporary artists rewrite the world as it exists around them by conveying new ideas and viewpoints in their artistic work. Peter Weibel believes that the exhibition’s main goal is “to demonstrate different levels of artistic thought — technological, political and psychological.”

The main project will be located at two venues — the ARTPLAY Design Center, and the TSUM Art Foundation, both in central Moscow. There will also be 6 special guests, as well as 69 special projects and parallel programs at different venues. In addition, the Biennale expands its geographic boundaries beyond Moscow, with special projects planned in Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kiev, and London.

The Moscow Biennale is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation, Moscow City Government, ROSIZO State Museum and Exhibition Center, and the Moscow Biennale Art Foundation.

SPECIAL GUESTS

SEMYON FAIBISOVICH. THREE IN ONE, Organizer: Regina Gallery Venue: Red October, Chocolate Hall Dates of exhibition: September 19 — November 15, 2011

WILLIAM KENTRIDGE: FIVE THEMES

Curator: Mark Rosenthal, Organizers: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Norton Museum of Art, IRIS Foundation, GARAGE Center for Contemporary Culture

Credit line for exhibition William Kentridge: Five Themes is organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Norton Museum of Art. Venue: GARAGE Center for Contemporary Culture, 19A Obraztsova Street, Moscow. Dates of exhibition: September 30 — December 1, 2011

JANNIS KUNELLIS. S.T.

Curator: Mario Pieroni Co-ordinators: Aleksandra Shirvindt, Domiano Urbani, Organizers: National center of contemporary art, RAM radioartemobile Patroage Embassy of Italy in the Russian Federation, The Italian institute of culture in Moscow Sponsor: ZERYNTHIA association of contemporary art. Venue: Red October Dates of exhibition: October 28 — November 24, 2011

IRINA NAKHOVA. STRANGE PRIMER

Curator: Irina Alpatova Organizers: Elena Berezkina Foundation for the Support of Visual Arts “ERA” Venue: Elena Berezkina Foundation for the Support of Visual Arts “ERA” 13/1, Trubnikovsky Lane, Moscow, Russia, 121 069 Opening: September 24, 2011, 6.00 p.m. — 10.00 p.m. Dates of exhibition: September 28 — October 30, 2011

IRINA NAKHOVA. ROOMS

Venue: State Museum of Modern Art of the Russian Academy of Arts, 10 Gogolevsky Boulevard Opening: May 18, 7 p.m. Dates of exhibition: May 19 — July 3, 2011

BERTRAND PLANES. BUMP IT ! TOUR 2011

Curator: Bertrand Planes, Organizers: Ambassade de France en Russie, Institut français Russie, Alliance Française Supported by: Renault, New Galerie Venue: to be specified Dates of exhibition: to be specified