Gearing up for a performance piece on the fourth floor.  All images for Art Observed by Anna Mikaela Ekstrand.

The festive albeit politically charged atmosphere at the 2012 76th annual Whitney Biennial‘s pre-show event was practically interdependent, with the political climate not only informing the sentiments of viewers, but arguably the art itself. While protesters outside encouraged entering guests to “Occupy the Whitney,” antagonizing Sotheby’s and Deutsche Bank for withholding benefits from workers and developing financial strategies to benefit the ‘one percent,’ art indoors at the biennial also challenged artistic convention against the same political scale, with over 50 artists showing work.

Chuck Close touring the second floor

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Image via tfaoi.com

On November 16th the 2008 Biennial Artists were announced. The curatorial team stressed a broader take on the American Art scene, moving away from the post-punk sway exhibited in 2006. This expansion primarily pertains to the genres and mediums covered within the biennial, not the physical number of artists, as there were 100 artists selected in 2006 compared with 81 for 2008’s Biennial. Also unique to the upcoming show, is the use of the Armory space on Park and 67th, primarily for perfomance and interactive exhibitions.
Headliners include John Baldessari, Robert Bechtle, Mary Heilmann, Michael Smith and Sherrie Levine.

ArtNews
Whitney.org
NYTimes
Full list of artists after the jump. (more…)