The label ‘biennial’ or ‘triennial’ marks out a different kind of exhibition. But in developing this one, I’ve been wondering: when is a triennial no longer a triennial?
The Aotearoa Jewellery Triennial is a new initiative developed by Makers101. It follows in the footsteps of the New Zealand Jewellery Biennial, which saw four exhibitions presented and toured by the Dowse Art Museum between 1993 and 2001.
In their desire to represent a moment, biennials and triennials usually go for breadth – they tend to be sprawling affairs with long artist lists. The Dowse’s Jewellery Biennials fit this model, with each iteration featuring anywhere from 13 to 25 makers. By contrast, this exhibition will include only six. So given the relatively small number of makers in this exhibition, what sets it apart from any given group show?
Jewellers in Aotearoa are already very connected to each other; exhibiting together fairly often. Even if more makers were included, the question of what sets this show apart would remain – as there are plenty of examples of larger group jewellery shows in Aotearoa that are not biennials or triennials. Many of these exhibitions have been facilitated by Peter Deckers and Makers101. Examples include exhibitions such as CHAINreaction, displayed during Nelson Jewellery Week in 2021, which featured 49 makers – all of whom had been involved in the Handshake Project over the last decade.
Instead of scale, I’d like to consider another quality of biennials/triennials more closely – the representation of a particular time and context. What is the context for this triennial? I talk about some of this context in the statement of intent for this exhibition – this is a time of great uncertainty, with forces like climate change and the pandemic having a huge impact on our lives.
The development of this exhibition has not been exempt from these conditions – it’s been a slow process, stymied by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has altered relationship between the local and international – a dynamic that typically underpins biennials and triennials – and exacerbated some of the difficult conditions that artists and makers in Aotearoa already experience.
Given these conditions, I think it is natural for us to question the sustainability of biennials and triennials, which are forms of exhibition making that can be incredibly exhaustive and exhausting. Even before the pandemic, biennials had begun to be criticised for their bloat and their touristic approach – at their worst, seen as vanity projects that touch down in cities and cultivate only superficial engagement with local conditions.
If a key quality of a biennial or triennial is to respond to or reflect its own moment, then this triennial needs to respond to the realities of being a maker in 2022. Everyone is tired. Everything is uncertain. It makes no sense to perpetuate an exhibition form that spreads resource and attention thin. Because the makers in this show are being asked to produce new work, the choice to focus on just six makers presents the chance to carve out some time and space for these makers to breathe, a chance to explore an idea, and create new work – with the provision of a decent artist fee, materials budget, and other kinds of support – thanks to Makers101 and Objectspace.
It is a struggle to decouple the idea of a ‘triennial’ from sheer scale. But here are my alternative aims for this exhibition:
- To represent impulses in the contemporary moment through six distinct practices.
- To give makers a chance to explore their ideas deeply, by offering time and support for the creation of new work.
- To create an exhibition that provides a ‘way in’ for new audiences to relate to contemporary jewellery/adornment practices, by situating them within wider culture and society.
