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posted 20 Apr 2021
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Liverpool Biennial 2021: The Stomach and the Port
- Sat, 20 Mar 2021 - Sun, 05 Sep 2021
- 11.00 AM - 4.00 PM
You can now book your tickets to see The Stomach and the Port at Bluecoat from Wednesday 19th May.
Click here to book your tickets.
Opening dates are subject to Government restrictions.
The 11th edition, The Stomach and the Port, explores notions of the body and ways of connecting with the world. More than 50 international artists have been invited to respond to this theme within the context of Liverpool. A dynamic programme of free exhibitions, performances, screenings and fringe events unfolds over the 15 weeks, shining a light on the city’s vibrant cultural scene.
The artists exhibiting at Bluecoat also acknowledge the kinship attachments between humans and nature. Paintings by Jadé Fadojutimi explore how bodies and nature are in constant flux, with our identities continuously being shaped by our environments. Films including Jíibie (2019) by Laura Huertas Millán and Fog Dog (2020) by Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, together with sculptural works by Roland Persson, Kathleen Ryan and André Romão, propose ways in which we belong to the world beyond our physicalboundaries, considering ourselves as nature, not just part of it.
These artworks suggest that we are not sealed off from our environment, but are porous. For example, our skin is porous and lets in moisture and other particles from our surroundings. But even hard, solid objects like rocks and concrete can be porous. When we recognise the constant exchanges between objects, plants and animals, we also reject the idea of humans as being separate from nature. Instead, new and more equal relationships come to light.
Discover more about the artists coming to Bluecoat -
On the exterior wall of our building along Blundell Lane is a piece by Jorgge Menna Barreto, who has worked with the Biennial since 2018, will present a collaborative mural documenting wild edible weeds found growing around us. The mural is a culmination of his durational project Environmental Sculpture, which will also include a publication. The publication, Enzyme #2: Life Systems, anchors on Menna Barreto’s research based practice focussing on how our environment is shaped by what we eat and how we live. Interested in reorienting our relationship with the natural environment, the research space at Bluecoat provides the backdrop for a mural, Mauvais Alphabet, entangling drawings of common weeds found in Liverpool to form a community of plants which are mostly invisible and many times unwelcome, even though they play a vital role in the ecosystem. Both the publication and the mural are produced in collaboration with other artists and thinkers, including Liverpool John Moores University Art and Design students whose research, sketches and drawings will be woven into the works.
Click here to find out more about the festival
Image credits
Clockwise from left - Kathleen Ryan, Bad Cherries (Legs) detail image; Andre Romao, Armor, 2019; Roland Persson, Mouth of Medusa, 2018; Jade Fadojutimi, By the Window, 2017;