Reception and Talk: The Biennial as Snapshot and Legacy

Floor 3, Theater

Patron, Circle, Fellow, and Sponsor members

In this talk, teaching fellow Erica Cooke will provide conceptual context for the Biennial by considering how the exhibition challenges artists, curators, and audiences to engage with the current moment and reckon with historical legacies. The 2017 Biennial, like the previous iterations of the exhibition, is both a snapshot of today and part of an ongoing trajectory: it is the seventy-eighth exhibition in the Whitney’s ongoing series of Biennials and Annuals, and each is situated within an institutional frame provided by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions. Cooke will trace a few salient institutional, sociopolitical, and artistic legacies, as well as explore how these histories might nourish or burden today’s artists. This will provide an entry point for understanding the key themes of this year’s Biennial, including the formation of self and the individual’s place in a turbulent society. A wine reception will be available during the program.

Talk: 4:30–5:30 pm 
Reception: 5:30–6 pm 

Patron, Circle, Fellow, and Sponsor members are invited to this event. The invitation is for two individuals per membership household. Registration instructions will be provided by email.

To join or upgrade, call (212) 570-3641.