Whitstable Biennale 2008 announces winners of major award:
 
"Let art be the balm that heals society"

says Bob and Roberta Smith one of the judges for the The Whitstable Biennale 2008 Open Submission Award. The selection committee comprised Bob and Roberta Smith (artist), Sue Jones (Director, Whitstable Biennale) and Charlotte Cullinan (Cullinan & Richards, artists)
 
This major award was open to both established and emerging artists living both in the UK and internationally. There were a massive two hundred and seventy seven entries with many submissions coming from outside the UK and applications from as far away as Japan. The recipient(s) of the cash prize win the opportunity create a new work for the Whitstable Biennale 2008 providing them with huge audiences.
 
Winners: Oreet Ashery and Mike Chavez-Dawson
 
Oreet Ashery’s work tends to be complex and relational, but at the same time humorous and accessible to a wide variety of audiences and communities.
 
Frequently Ashery will produce work as a character. Her characters include a rabbit, a black man, a Norwegian postman, a fat farmer and an Arab man, among others. Marcus Fisher, an orthodox Jewish man is Ashery’s most consistent character. 
 
Oreet Ashery will be creating a new performance work entitled ‘The Saints of Whitstable’. Ashery, The Saint, together with disciples, will set up a study centre from which to carry out a range of saintly activities over the two weeks. 
 
Mike Chavez-Dawson is creating a temporary cinema-inspired environment, designed to play host to a series of performances using the skills of a local hypnotist and the artist's ability to visualise an entire film from memory.  The work is entitled ‘The Mind Projected Cinema’ . Audiences will be asked to take part, watching Rorschach images from the titles of Peter Cushing films, and imagining the films into being.
 
Within easy reach of London, 45mins by car and just over an hour by train, Whitstable is fast becoming the coolest art event in the UK.
 
Under the directorship of Sue Jones the event is now recognized internationally, and is one of the UK's most important platforms for both established and emerging contemporary artists: Sue Jones says " I encourage the artists I commission to take risks and this has really paid off. People are very excited by this year’s line up"
 
2008 Whitstable Biennale Artists include:
 
Major new works by:
 
Jananne Al-Ani •  Oreet Ashery •  Clio Barnard •  Mike Chavez-Dawson •  Nick Crowe •  Ryan Gander • Serena Korda
 
Artists giving performances include:
 
Neil Bromwich & Zoe Walker •   Siân Robinson Davies •   Natash Vicars •   Beatty Hallas •   Roz Hilton •   Robin Deacon •   Chris Yates •   Mark Butcher •   Sandra Pearson •   Charlie Tweed •   Emma Leach •   Frog Morris •   Kim Noble •   Katy Richardson •   Lee Campbell •   Victor Mount •   Leigh Clarke •   Mark Quinn •   Andy Malone •   Sally O’Reilly & Mel Brimfield •   Charlotte Young •   James Topple •   Colin Riddle •   Daren Callow
 
Screenings include:
 
Bruce Naumann •   Vito Acconci •   Roman Signer •   Rebecca Horn •   Gordon Matta Clark •   Sarah Turner •   Tony Foster •   Hope Fitzgerald •   Ruth Beale & Karen Mirza •   Joan Jonas •   Erwin Wurm
 
Education Programme (including new works):
 
Alex Schady •   Abigail Hunt •   Abi Gilchrist •   Alice Walton •   Serena Korda
 
Satellite Programme:
 
Over 70 artists are participating in the Whitstable Biennale Satellite programme entitled ‘LOCAL’. The title is somewhat ironic and questions the idea of ‘belonging’ or ‘relating to’ a particular area or neighbourhood. The fringe programme has evolved in parallel with the Whitstable Biennale and showcases the work of up and coming artists from all over the UK.
 
Biennale Bag 2008:
 
Bob and Roberta Smith has been commissioned to design a limited edition Biennale Bag for Whitstable Biennale 2008

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