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UPDATE 2/25/02

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FREE BIENNIAL ARTISTS FAQ

1. Can anyone be in the biennial? Yes.

2. Do I have to pay to participate? No. Of course not. Contrary to some circulating rumor, there is no fee for participating. The Free Biennial is free for all particpants, artists and audience members.

3. What kind of projects are eligible? Any art project which is nonmonetary and takes place in public or quasi-public space.

4. What do you mean by nonmonetary? Anything where no money changes hands, ie where nothing is bought or sold, and no admission is charged.

5. What do you mean by public or quasi-public space? Any space the public is free to enter. This includes the streets and sidewalks of course, and also commercial space like stores and bars. This also includes space which is ordinarily private, like studios, offices, or apartments if they are open to the public for specific periods of time, or by appointment.

6. How many projects can I enter? As many as you like.

7. How will people find my work? Each artist will have a space on the Free Biennial website with a description of the project and information about how to find it. There will be city maps and calendars to help viewers locate works in space and time. Tours and city walks will be organized. There will be invitations and press listings.

8. Does the biennial have an indoor space to hang or install art? The Biennial has no organized space, except the public space of the city.

9. If I am a painter, sculptor, designer, photographer or or other producer of art normally seen on walls or in galleries, how can I participate? There are many possibilities. Some participants are organizing shows and events in studios, apartments, public venues, etc. It is also possible to make work that can be distributed on street corners or installed throughout the city as flyers, stickers, stencils, murals, etc.

10. Is this legal? Use your best judgment when planning work in public space. We do not advocate doing anything illegal.


11. What if I want to be part of the Biennial, but I’m not sure what I want to do yet? Email me and let me know you’re thinking of participating. I’ll be happy to answer any questions, participate in discussions, etc.


12. Do you have any money to give participating artists for materials, travel, honoraria, etc.? No. The Free Biennial has no institutional or governmental backing whatsoever, and doesn’t have a budget for anything beyond the work of organizing the event itself -- it is an experiment in gift economy.


13. What if I am far away from New York?
If it’s not possible to travel to New York, there are lots of ways to participate from a distance. Any form of communication that can be accessed by a person in New York is eligible, for instance, web, mail, telephone, satellite broadcast, etc. You can also ask someone in New York to help you realize your project, for instance by distributing works you send them, or carrying out performance instructions. If you would like to do this, and don’t know anyone in New York, please contact me and I’ll help you connect with someone.


14. How will we meet other participants? There will be an opening party April 2, 2002. With luck, other parties will be planned as well.


15. What if I want to plan an event or a party of my own? Great. The more the better.

16. What are the deadlines? There is a deadline of March 1, 2002 for any press materials, and March 30 for inclusion on the Free Biennial web site. Anyone is welcome, however, to join the Biennial in progress, simply by enacting your project during the month of April.