What it is
This free, citywide art exhibition features 50+ local and global artists at 15+ venues across Portland and promises an exciting opening weekend. Through the theme of Social Forms: Art as Global Citizenship, this year’s biennial is a curated showing of the world’s leading contemporary artworks – some of which will debut for the first time ever here in Portland. Experience the way the arts can uniquely help revitalize our city, connect us as a community and drive meaningful dialogue about some of the most pressing topics of our time, from deforestation of the Amazon to monuments to Indigenous people, exploring the concept of citizenship and immigration, to lifting up the voices and experiences of Black bodies and women of color and more.
Highlights
Among the show’s artworks is:
Broken Spectre, an immersive film by Richard Moss, arguably the most powerful artistic response to date to the devastating and ongoing impact of deforestation in the Amazon.
A major new artwork for the city of Portland, Turtle Island, And… by Marie Watt, a key Pacific Northwest artist who is a member of the Seneca Nation.
A profoundly affecting sculptural installation by Malcolm Peacock that explores themes of safety for Black individuals, especially as these relate to the history of Portland.
Groundbreaking artworks from Frieze’s Impact Prize winner, Narsiso Martinez, that spotlight the precarious experiences of marginalized and misrepresented immigrant communities in the U.S. and abroad.
An important historical exhibition is drawn entirely from the collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation, including works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Kara Walker, Robert Rauschenberg, and many more.
How to participate
Everyone from students and families to tourists and collectors is invited to get out into our amazing city and experience the arts. The venues include galleries in the Pearl, campuses of our city’s leading colleges and universities, museums, the Portland Japanese Garden and even public works in places like Pioneer Square.
Dates
Opening weekend is Thursday, August 24 – Sunday, August 27, with programming continuing through mid-October, some on view into December.
More information
For more details and an interactive map to the citywide art exhibition (coming soon!), visit www.converge45.org/social-forms or follow on Instagram @converge_45