Whitney Biennial 2019 Round-Up: Here’s Everything We Published on the Sprawling Art Exhibition in One Place

Here's our comprehensive rundown of the Whitney Biennial, complete with our review, a virtual tour, and analysis of the show's evolution.

Josh Kline, installation view at the Whitney Biennial, 2019. Photo: Caroline Goldstein.

The Whitney Biennial, which descends on New York every two years, is always a magnet for controversy and debate. But this year, the most heated conversations revolved not around art itself, but the museum’s leadership. In the run-up to the opening, protests repeatedly called for the resignation of Warren Kanders, the board’s co-chair and the CEO of munitions manufacturer Safariland. One artwork in the show responded directly to the controversy—while the others came together to paint a picture of the state of art in America today.

For a closer look at the show, check out our reviews, features, and analysis, all handily compiled below. The Whitney Biennial is on view until September 22.

 

THE REVIEW

Installation view of works by Gala Porras-Kim. Image courtesy Ben Davis.

Installation view of works by Gala Porras-Kim. Image courtesy Ben Davis.

The 2019 Whitney Biennial Shows America’s Artists Turning Toward Coded Languages in Turbulent Times by Ben Davis

ANALYSIS

The median age of artists in the 2008–19 editions of the Whitney Biennial. © artnet News. Graphic by Lucas Albrecht.

The median age of artists in the 2008–19 editions of the Whitney Biennial. © artnet News. Graphic by Lucas Albrecht.

This Year’s Whitney Biennial Is the Youngest in Over a Decade—and Other Takeaways From Our Analysis of the Exhibition’s History by Pac Pobric & Caroline Goldstein

Who Has the Most Artists in the Whitney Biennial? These Non-Blue-Chip Galleries Represent More Than a Quarter of the Show by Caroline Goldstein

A Buyer’s Guide to the Whitney Biennial: What You Need to Know About the Exhibition’s Brightest Stars by Eileen Kinsella & Caroline Goldstein

IN PICTURES

Installation view of Nicole Eisenman's Procession at the Whitney Museum. Photo: Caroline Goldstein.

Installation view of Nicole Eisenman’s Procession at the Whitney Museum. Photo: Caroline Goldstein.

Take a Virtual Tour of the Whitney Biennial With Photos of Artworks by All of the Artists in the 2019 Edition by Ben Davis

PEOPLE

2019 Whitney Biennial curators Rujeko Hockley (left) and Jane Panetta (right). Photograph by Scott Rudd.

‘We Were Seeing and Feeling Anxiety’: The Whitney Biennial Curators on How Artists’ Struggle With Debt and Real Estate Shaped the 2019 Show by Terence Trouillot

Laura Ortman Has One of the Standout Works of the Whitney Biennial. Her Inclusion Was a Surprise Even to Her by Ben Davis

In the Heart of the Whitney Biennial, Artists Are Working to Expose Board Member Warren Kanders’s Link to Possible War Crimes by Eileen Kinsella

NEWS

Protesters at the Whitney Museum. Courtesy of Decolonize This Place.

Here Are the 75 Artists Appearing in the 2019 Whitney Biennial—and the One Who Declined in Protest by Tim Schneider

‘Warren Kanders, You Can’t Hide!’ Protesters March From the Whitney Museum to the Controversial Trustee’s Home by Brian Boucher

An Activist Collective Has Infiltrated the Whitney Museum, Replacing Visitor Guides With Sneaky Lookalikes Criticizing Its Board by Taylor Dafoe

More Than Half of the Artists Included in the Whitney Biennial Are Calling for Trustee Warren Kanders to Resign by Kate Brown

Hal Foster, Claire Bishop, and More Than 120 Other Intellectuals Call for the Removal of Warren Kanders From the Whitney’s Board by Eileen Kinsella

Eight Artists Withdraw Their Work from the Whitney Biennial as Protest of Warren Kanders Spreads to the Museum’s Marquee Show by Eileen Kinsella


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.