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.