New Museum announces Triennial based on “20 something” artists

July 16th, 2008

The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City via Guardian

The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York announced yesterday, July 15, that they are starting a new international triennial art exhibition in the spring of 2009. The triennial, entitled Younger than Jesus, will showcase young emerging artists from Generation Y, born circa 1980. A curatorial team led by the director of special exhibitions Massimiliano Gioni, senior curator Laura Hoptman, and Rhizome.org director and adjunct curator Lauren Cornell, along with a network of ten international correspondents and over 150 “informers” are organizing the triennial and scouting the young artists.

New Museum Plans Triennial, Seeks Young Artists for 2009 Debut [Bloomberg]
New Museum Launches Triennial [Artinfo]
New Museum Plans Emerging Artist Triennial [NYSun]
New Triennial from New Museum [Artnet]

New Museum director Lisa Phillips via Bloomberg

“This will be a provocative roundup,” museum director Lisa Phillips said recently. “The idea is we will reach out beyond conventional venues to find artists who may not be known.”

The New Museum triennial sets itself apart from The Whitney biennial, which features young American artists, by opening the invitation for artists from around the globe to participate.

View from the Hope Terrace at the New Museum via Art Observed

“We decided to focus on the 20-somethings,” Phillips said. “It’s not going to be a catchall. It will be a very specific and highly focused look at a generation.” The triennial, Younger than Jesus, will concentrate on young international artists who have perhaps never had the opportunity to show at a museum.

Director of special exhibitions Massimiliano Gioni via Janeirwin

“New York is missing a truly international biennial,” said Massimiliano Gioni, director of special exhibitions. “We want to find the defining factors that shape generational change. We will try to analyze how generations emerge and come to produce work.”

Director of special exhibitions Massimiliano Gioni with senior curator Laura Hoptman via NYTimes