Exhibition:

Amsterdam Biennale 2009

Because it wasn't here before...

16 Oct 2009
3 Jan 2010

The Amsterdam Biennale 2009 presented the contemporary art scene from all over the world. More than thirty international curators from the Mediamatic network provided their view of art in their city.

The Biennale was a project in progress that started on the 16th of October 2009. On the 12th of December we celebrated the completion of all the pavilions. Until the 3rd of January 2010 there were 37 pavilions on show: Kabul, Napels, Amsterdam 1, Melbourne, Belgrado, Damascus, Munich, Boston, Cairo, Tallinn, Amsterdam 2, Lima 1, Lima 2, Stuttgart, Portland, Kobe, Beirut, Istanbul, Casablanca, Seoul, Bogota, Tokyo, Leeds, Toronto, St. Petersburg, Tehran, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam 3, Bamako, Taipeh, Brooklyn 1, Brooklyn 2, Rome, Copenhagen, Milan, Porto Alegre and Nicosia.

An overview of all contributing curators and artists can be found here and an overview of pictures taken at the biennale can be found here.
Have a look all the openings in our calendar.

Enlarge

"Drunk Muse" by Olga Jitlina - Taken at St. Petersburg Pavilion at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

With: Olga Jitlina

Mediamatic Travel

The Amsterdam Biennale is part of Mediamatic Travel. This project consists of the Amsterdam Biennale 2009, a do-it-yourself travel network of local experts in over 50 countries, the website travel.mediamatic.net and the travel catalogue Destinations 2010.

Mediamatic Travel particularly focuses on places that are known for their wars, pyramids, hunger or cheese. We’ll show you that there is vital contemporary art to be found in Damascus, Detroit or Dakar, and we offer the right entrances for you to get acquainted.

Travel website and catalogue

All over the world there is contemporary art and there are artists who would like to share their art with you. Mediamatic Travel is an open network of creative people in over 50 cities around the world. From Lima to Nairobi, and from Kiev to Kabul, these local experts will introduce you to their personal network and the local galleries, studios, festivals, fashion shows, music scene, art projects and more. No ready-made trips to timeworn destinations, but a do-it-yourself travel network to explore unknown places.

In the travel catalogue Destinations 2010 (56 full-colour pages, in Dutch), over 20 local experts introduce the project. At the Travel website travellers can make contact with these local experts, and they can find tips and information on many more destinations. The Travel website is intended to be an open network in which more and more local experts and travellers can take part. It was launched on 16th October 2009.

Exhibition Team

Anne Baan Hofman, Alice Bodansky, Martin Butler, Marjolijn Leijtens, Thomas van Lier, Lucy Luxton, Mhairi Macfarlane, Eline Muris, Katja Novitskova, Jans Possel, Liene Rubane, Willem Velthoven, Machiel Veltkamp, Femke Vos, Marco Wessel

Thank you

Mondriaan Foundation, Hivos/NCDO, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds

Mediamatic Travel is a cooperation between Mediamatic and Partizan Publik

Enlarge

Maultauschen Scenery - The Stuttgart Pavilion, curators: Susanne Kudielka & Kaspar Wimberley. Dec 5 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Een Ogenblik Geduld - The Bogotá Pavilion, curators: Hugo Herrera Tobon & Natalia Domínguez Rangel. Dec 5 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Robot detail Joe Franscheschi - Taken at Rome Pavilion at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Posters Lima paviljoen - The Lima Pavilion, curator: Eliana Otta. Nov 7 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Having fun in Kabul - The Kabul Pavilion, curator: Robert Kluijver. Oct 17 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Beirut peephole - The Beirut Pavilion, curator: Rani al Rajji. Oct 17 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Temporary Services Newspaper - The Brooklyn Pavilion 2, curator: Caroline Woolard. Nov 14 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Betelnut Beauty detail - Taken at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Tallinn's printed works - The Tallinn Pavilion, curator: Margit Sade. Oct 17 2009 - Jan 3 2010, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

The Sis publication Dina Danish - Photo taken at the Opening of Cairo Pavilion at the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic Bank (06/11/09) Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Munich traditions - The Munich Pavilion, curator: Sascha Glasl. Oct 17 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Toronto interior - The Toronto Pavilion, curator: Kyle Tryhorn. Dec 5 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Sabine Delafon Corporation - The Milan Pavilion, curator: Sabine Delafon. Nov 21 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Towards Casablanca - The Casablanca pavilion, curated by Aicha el Beloui, Nov 14 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Proposal by Claudia Zanatta - The Porto Alegre Pavilion, curator: Daniele Marx. Nov 14 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Dangling street culture - The Seoul Pavilion, curators: Jihyun Ryou, David Artuffo, Seoungeun Jung. Dec 5 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Aynouk Tan's Amsterdam Pavilion - Taken inside Amsterdam Pavilion at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Portland Publications - Portland Pavilion, curator: Matthew Stadler. Oct 24 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Reconnecting Naples - Archis publication - The Naples Pavilion, curator: Diana Marrone. Oct 17 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

"Give Up" by Nickie Wynnychuck - Melbourne pavilion, curated by Helen Grogan. From Oct 16 till Jan 3 2009/10, Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Boston Pavilion - Taken inside Boston Pavilion (friendSlicer) at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Map of Peru - The Lima Pavilion, curator: Eliana Otta. Nov 7 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

City Map of CPH TLK - Taken at Copenhagen Pavilion at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Drinken van het Amsterdamse architectuur paviljoen - The Amsterdam Architecture Pavilion, curators: DUS Architects. Oct 17 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

KING KONG KOBRA rocks out at Equinox Pavilion - Opening 'No 2 Skin' by Aynouk Tan on Saturday November 28 2009 Amsterdam Biennale 2009 at Mediamatic Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Een postkaart zenden naar een kunstenaar in Belgrado - The Belgrade pavilion, curated by Isidora Krstic, Oct 16 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

A look into the Kobe pavilion - Taken at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Foto's van Istanbul - Taken at Istanbul Pavilion at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Artwork in the Damascus pavilion - Artwork by Muhammad Ali taken at Damascus Pavilion at Amsterdam Biennale 2009 Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

In the St. Petersburg pavilion - The St. Petersburg Pavilion, curators: Olga Jitlina & Katja Sokolova. Dec 5 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

16-10-2009 The pink interior toilet- de Amsterdam Biennale - The Rio de Janeiro Pavilion by curator Pedro Meyer. Pedro made a painting installation in Mediamatic's toilet with a naked transvestite on the door and pink images on the walls inside. The Amsterdam Biennale 2009 presented the art scene from all over the world. More than thirty international curators from the Mediamatic network gave their view on the contemporary art of their city. The Biennale was an exhibition that grew every week. On 16 October 2009 the first pavilions opened and on 12… Raphael Rehbach

With: Pedro Meyer
Enlarge

Some components of the Bamako pavilion - The Bamako Pavilion, curators: Hama Goro & Harald Schole. Dec 5 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Tokyo Pavilion inside and out - The Tokyo Pavilion, curator: Reona Ueda. Dec 12 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Pingpong in het Leeds paviljoen - The Leeds Pavilion, curators: East Street Arts. Dec 12 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Artwork on the Skin of Tehran Pavilion - The Nicosia Pavilion, curator: Sina Khani. Dec 12 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach

Enlarge

Sound Tapping Machine by Antonis Antoniou - The Nicosia Pavilion, curator: Alana Kakoyiannis. Dec 12 - Jan 3 2009/10, in the Amsterdam Biennale at Mediamatic. Raphael Rehbach