Antarctic Biennale: The first biennial of performed in Antarctica
With the presence of the Minister of Culture of Argentina, Pablo Avelluto, the press conference that crowned the expedition was celebrated in the Faena Art Center. Antarctic Biennale brought together artists, scientific and global thinkers from all over the world in a cultural expedition without precedence.
Antarctic Biennale is a unique project that brings together a crew of more than 100 artists, architects, scientists, researchers, philosophers and technological visionaries from different parts of the world in a 12-day journey to Antarctica, where they were able to perform their art on the majestic white canvas proposed by the Antarctic Continent. Cooperation and mutual collaboration were fundamental pillars of this expedition designed by Alexander Ponomarev that seeks to design an intercultural and interdisciplinary platform of dialogue about the future of "shared spaces" such as Antarctica, the Oceans and the Cosmos.
The Minister of Culture of the Argentina Pablo Avelluto opened the press conference and said: "This mission has a transcendence that is difficult to measure. It is remarkable how it allowed combining different areas related to art, with a great spirit of cooperation and pushing beyond the limits of innovation, creativity, avant-gardes and different art forms."
Acclaimed Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno, who alongside Joaquín Fargas were the Argentine representatives summoned by the Antarctic Biennale, said about the experience: "I believe that collaboration is the future. I am very happy to have been part of this project that managed to articulate different disciplines in such a wonderful way. The idea of that boat that went to the Antarctic was to ilustrate that all of us are together in a same boat that is called Planet Earth. The moment we begin to work together, to share, and to invent a future based on collaboration, participation and generosity, the possibilities are limitless. "
The alma mater behind Antarctic Biennale is Alexander Ponomarev: multidisciplinary artist, navigator and nautical engineer who in the last 30 years has organized more than 100 artistic projects, exhibitions and events in some of the most remote places of the Planet, such as different Oceans, The Arctic, Antarctica and the Sahara desert. About Antarctic Biennale said: "Antarctica is the last free continent that does not belong to any country, and according to international treaties is exclusively dedicated to creative activities and scientific research for humanity. Like art, Antarctica is pure, elusive and mysterious. This sublime continent is like a white sheet of paper in which artists from different countries and nationalities will try to write the new rules of cooperation.”
Inspired by the values of international cooperation and creative pursuit, the project was supported by Kaspersky Lab as a main partner. Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky Lab, said: "Although we have supported Antarctic expeditions in the past, this has been the biggest project for us on the continent. It was an unusual project - and extraordinarily fascinating - made possible by genuine and original passion Antarctica is like no other place on Earth, it is a shared continent without frontiers that is both beautiful and fragile in its barely habitable wilderness. It was the perfect backdrop to inspire creative exploration It was really exciting to participate in the expedition, and an experience that I will never forget and I will always remember with affection.”
Faena Art also participated and actively supported the initiative from its headquarters in Argentina and Miami. Ximena Caminos, Artistic Director of Faena Art, emphasizes: "It is a pride for us to collaborate with this initiative that is fully aligned with Faena Art's mission. Our focus is set on collaboration and development of projects like this, which not only promote exploration and interdisciplinary creation, but also invite us to rethink the borders and redefine the role of art in our society: Art as a platform for action and social innovation, as a tool for socio-political activism. "
At the press conference held yesterday at the Faena Art Center in Puerto Madero, organizers, artists, scientists, politicians, partners, and friends celebrated the end of a unique experience that will transcend history as one of the most innovative quests of art history.
