On View
Take a Virtual Tour of the Whitney Biennial With Photos of Artworks by All of the Artists in the 2019 Exhibition
The exhibition is just opening in New York.
Ben Davis
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After months of anticipation (and controversy), the 2019 Whitney Biennial is here. How does it look?
At the press conference this morning, curators Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley spoke of a process that involved some 300 studio visits, visits to 25 cities, and a total of 14 weeks on the road together. The result is a show of 75 artists or collectives, ranging from filmmaker Ilana Harris-Babou, born in 1991, to sculptor Diane Simpson, who gets the ground-floor gallery all to herself, born 1935.
Though Panetta stressed that the show was “not any single thing,” she also listed some themes that had popped up again and again in the curatorial research: “the mining of history as a means to reimagine the present or future,” “questions of race gender and equity,” and “the vulnerability of the body.” She also flagged an emphasis on community and on the hand of the artist over manufacture.
It’s too soon to say what the critical consensus about the fruits of Panetta and Hockley’s labor will be. While thoughts are percolating, here are photos of works by the artists scattered across the Whitney’s various spaces. (This is a sample of what’s in the galleries; the film and performance programs unfold over time, and feature more artists still).
Jeffrey Gibson, Keep on Moving (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Diane Simpson, Window Dressing: Background 4, April VI (2003/2007). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Curran Hatleberg, Untitled (Dominoes) (2016). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Meriem Bennani, detail of MISSION TEENS: French school in Morocco (2019) at the 2019 Whitney Biennial. Courtesy of Ben Davis.
Installation view of works by John Edmonds. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of works by Josh Kline. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Eric N. Mack, Proposition: for Wet Gee’s Bend Quilts to replace the American flag—Permanently (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of paintings by Jennifer Packer. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of works from Heji Shin’s “Baby” series. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Simone Leigh, Corrugated Lady (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Janiva Ellis, Uh Oh, Look Who Got Wet (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Keegan Monaghan, Blue Door (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Dancers performing on Brendan Fernandes’s The Master and Form (2018/2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Ariel Goldberg, Camera Lesson (_2210485) (2018) Ariel Goldberg, Camera Lesson (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of works by Matthew Angelo Harrison. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Agustina Woodgate, National Times (2016/2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Kyle Thurman, Suggested Occupation 22 (2018), Suggested Occupation 4 (2016), and Suggested Occupation 6 (2016). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Marcus Fischer, Untitled (Words of Concern) (2017). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Works from Alexandra Bell’s “No Humans Allowed: After Sylvia Wynter” series (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Elle Pérez, Jose tatoo, Sable, and Jane (all 2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Jeffrey Gibson, PEOPLE LIKE US (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Work from Christine Sun Kim’s “Degrees of My Deaf Rage in the Art World” (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Jeanette Mundt, Born Athlete American: Aly Raisman II (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Tiona Nekkia McClodden, I Prayed to the Wrong God for You (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
![[Foreground]: Work from Iman Issa's "Heritage Studies" series; [Background] Carissa Rodriguez, <em>The Maid</em> (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.](https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2019/05/Carissa-Rodriguez-683x1024.jpg)
Work from Iman Issa’s “Heritage Studies” series, and [background] Carissa Rodriguez, The Maid (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Work from Milano Chow’s “Night Exterior” series. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Pat Phillips, Untitled (Don’t Tread on Me) (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Kota Ezawa, National Anthem (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Calvin Marcus, Los Angeles Painting (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of various works by Martine Syms. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Lucas Blalock, The Nonconformist (2017-2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of works by Ragen Moss. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Works from Marlon Mullen’s “Untitled” series. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Wangechi Mutu, Sentinel I and Sentinel II (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
![Robert Bittenbender, <em>Broadway Nights</em> (2015) and [right] Carolyn Lazard, <em>Extended Stay</em> (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.](https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2019/05/Caroline-Lazard-3.jpg)
Robert Bittenbender, Broadway Nights (2015) and [right] Carolyn Lazard, Extended Stay (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Robert Bittenbende, Sister Carrie (2017). and Mott Heaven (2016). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Maia Ruth Lee, LABYRINTH (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Nicole Eisenman, Procession (2019). image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of Ilana Harris-Babou, Human Design (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Olga Balema, Floor (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Tomashi Jackson, Hometown Buffet – Two Blues (Limited Value Exercise) (2019) and Third Party Transfer and the Making of Central Park (Seneca Village – Brooklyn 1853-2019) (2019). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of three works from Brian Belott’s “Untitled” series. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of Forensic Architecture, Triple Chaser (2019) video at the Whitney Biennial. Photo courtesy Ben Davis.
Todd Gray, Euclidian Gris Gris 2 (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of works by Joe Minter. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Work by Troy Michie. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of works by Walter Price. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of Laura Ortman, My Soul Remainer (2017). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of works by Gala Porras-Kim. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Installation view of works by Eddie Arroyo. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Daniel Lind-Ramos, 1797 Vencendor (1797: Victorious) (2017-18), at the 2019 Whitney Biennial. Courtesy of Ben Davis.
Installation view of Ellie Ga’s “Gyre” series. Image courtesy Ben Davis.
Nicholas Galanin, White Noise, American Prayer Rug (2018). Image courtesy Ben Davis.
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