Portland2014
Curated by Amanda Hunt
March 8 – April 27, 2014
Curator Amanda Hunt reviewed over 300 submissions and conducted dozens of studio visits as part of her selection process. Her engagement with these artists led Hunt to explore the history of artistic production in Oregon and consider its connection to—or influence on—current contemporary art practices.
“Throughout the selection process, I found several points of intersection and commonality: a reliance on the hand, an enduring connection to the land and surrounding landscape, and an oftentimes intergenerational approach to collaboration,” says Hunt.
The 15 artists selected range from emerging to mid-career and work in a variety of mediums from installation, film/video, painting, craft and social-based prac- tices, to site-specific works that challenge the viewer’s contemplation of space. A majority of the selected artists will exhibit new or public works commissioned and created specifically for the Biennial.
A subset of Portland2014 focuses on collaborative practices that consider how information is shared as artistic production. Portland2014 will also include a series of public programs that will unfold over the course of the Biennial. Hosted within each of the exhibition’s four venues, these public programs will provide the community with increased opportunities for engagement.
“As the Biennial’s first non-local curator,” says Hunt, “my aim has been to build a platform that will generate and encourage dialogue—both within the Portland community as well as outside of it. Presenting art in places and formats that are unpredictable, I hope to enliven discussion surrounding the rich and diverse practices of Oregon-based artists.”
Disjecta:
Modou Dieng & Devon A. VanHouten-Maldonado | Jessica Jackson Hutchins | Evan La Londe | D.E. May | Publication Studio | Kelly Rauer with Seth Nehil & Leah Wilmoth | Blair Saxon-Hill
The Best Gallery in Portland:
Personal Libraries Library
Upfor Gallery:
Ellen Lesperence
White Box:
School of Architecture & Allied Arts, University of Oregon in Portland | Zachary Davis | Travis Fitzgerald | Alex Mackin Dolan
Public Projects:
Modou Dieng & Devon A. VanHouten-Maldonado | Raph Pugay | Richard Thompson | Christopher Michlig & John Zerzan
Additional Programming
Envisioned by Curator Hunt, the Saturday Series was a succession of events held each Saturday during the run of the biennial to further engage the public and encourage dialogue. The Series spanned March 15th through April 26th, 2014 and featured performances, films, panels and roundtables.
Monumental Gestures in the Public Sphere
Portland State University, Shattuck Hall in the Annex Lecture Hall
March 15th
A conversation between Ralph Pugay, Christopher Michlig and John Zerzan, moderated by Harrell Fletcher.
Networks
Gray Box at the University of Oregon in Portland
March 22nd
A video program curated by former Appendix Space members Zachary Davis, Travis Fitzgerald and Alex Mackin Dolan
Panel: Amanda Hunt in Conversation with Mary Beebe& Anne Ellegood
Presented at Disjecta Contemporary Art Center
March 29th
As part of the Portland2014 Press & VIP Weekend, Mary Beebe, Director of The Stuart Collection at the University of California, San Diego and former director of The Portland Center for the Visual Arts (1973–1981), and Anne Ellegood, Senior Curator at Los Angeles’ Hammer Museum, discussed the mechanics of biennials and reflected on the Oregon arts landscape with Portland2014 Curator Amanda Hunt.
Film Screening
The Best Art Gallery in Portland
April 5th
Personal Libraries Library founder Abra Ancliffe hosted a double film feature and discussion on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the Library.
Publication Studio Roundtable
Publication Studio
April 12th
Co-directors of Publication Studio, Antonia Pinter and Patricia No, conducted a roundtable discussion on authorship.
Wikipedia Feminist Art Edit-a-thon
Pacific Northwest College of Art Fine Art Library
April 19th
Ellen Lesperance hosted a Wikipedia Feminist Art Edit-a-thon session.
Tumble: A Performance and Closing Celebration
Disjecta Contemporary Art Center
April 26th
The last Saturday Series event, TUMBLE—and official closing party for the Biennial—featured performances organized by artist Kelly Rauer and choreographer Tahni Holt that responded to and communicated with Rauer's video installation Locate.
Performers: Linda Austin, Linda Hutchins, Tracy Broyles (FLOCK member), Linda K. Johnson, Muffie Connelly & Ruth Nelson, Tere Mathern,Posie Currin & Rebecca Steele, Kaj-anne Pepper (FLOCK member), Keyon Gaskin, Robert Tyree, Jen Hackworth, Leah WilmothAllie Hankins, and Takahiro Yamamoto
Portland2014 is supported by The Ford Family Foundation, Oregon Cultural Trust, The Kinsman Foundation, Oregon Arts Commission, The Robert Lehman Foundation, Travel Portland, RACC, Deschutes Brewery and Sign Wizards, as well as our partnering venues Upfor Gallery and White Box, University of Oregon, Portland.