Curatorial Statement for Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art 2025

The 13th edition of the Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art will focus on artists whose practices are defined by acts of solidarity and the creation of alliances through collaboration. By embodying these principles, the selected artists respond to and are shaped by social changes through the openness of their work and their partnerships with one another. The biennial’s concept is based on an understanding that artists play a crucial role in addressing and navigating contemporary challenges.

Artists and art production are increasingly scrutinized when they deviate from the hegemony of Western ideas and forms, or when shared beliefs clash with the political stance of their host country or city, or are even forbidden by law. Such pressures not only stifle artistic expression but also strain the relationship between artists and cultural institutions. By creating space and time for storytelling, collaboration and active listening, the biennial aspires to nurture practices rooted in solidarity, alliances, and shared narratives.

Together with the invited artists, the questions being raised are: How can we withstand the escalating rhetoric of populism? What forms of resistance are truly effective when the stakes are so high? What is true solidarity? And how can we avoid creating hierarchies within our acts of solidarity?

I would like the coming biennial to look two ways, through the lens of artistic practices: recognizing what different forms of political oppression have in common and sharing responsibility through collaborative practices. This shared responsibility transcends geographical and political borders and can be articulated and fought for through models of solidarity and alliance.

Christina Lehnert