Viewing Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art

The Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art is the UK’s largest festival of visual arts, with free events and exhibitions happening city-wide, including major museums and institutions such as the Tate, RIBA North and Walker Art Gallery, to unexpected and historic buildings and hidden corners of the city.

This is the thirteenth edition of the biennale – meaning it has now spanned two decades – and it all unfolds over fourteen weeks. The title this year is BEDROCK, and it’s guest curated by Marie-Anne McQuay, who is based in Liverpool, and is on secondment from Arts & Heritage where she is Director of Projects. The overarching theme for BEDROCK is rooted in Liverpool’s physical and social foundations – its places and people – exploring how artists connect to the people and places in turn that shape them.

Among the highlights are Sheila Hicks, Christine Sun Kim and Mounira Al Solh are on display for the first time in the city, a walking performance by artist Hadassa Ngamba, and a new commission on the UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront by Nathan Coley. We will also be heading to Open Eye Gallery for an exhibition by LA-based Haitian rising star Widline Cadet. There are weekly guided tours around the festival on Saturdays at 2pm – see the website for further information.