2021 Terrain Biennial Archive
OAK PARK, IL. September 7, 2021.
Terrain Exhibitions is proud to present the fifth 2021 Terrain Biennial international public art festival from October 2-November 15, 2021.
Founded in 2011 by artist Sabina Ott, Terrain Exhibitions was created in the spirit of community building through public art at her home in Oak Park. Ott invited over a hundred artists to exhibit site-specific and -responsive artworks in her front lawn. Two years later, Ott created the Terrain Biennial to stage month-long installations, inviting her neighbors and collaborators within her network to host public art at their homes and in their neighborhoods. The Terrain Biennial has produced four editions in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, with each growing from one block in Oak Park to national and international collaborations.
Since 2013, the Terrain Biennial has been a nexus between art practitioners and public audiences from seemingly disparate backgrounds through public art installations. This work has forged connections in substantial and empathetic ways across city borders around the world. This year, the Terrain Biennial aims to find spaces of joy and community essential for collective healing in these times of isolation, public reckonings, and mourning. Sharing much of the same sentiment as yearbook signatures and pen pal letters, this year’s biennial theme is K.I.T. (keep in touch). After more than a year of lockdown, participants are encouraged to consider how their projects serve communities, encourage lived experiences of art, and facilitate deepening friendships and new connections.
Image courtesy of Borderless Studios
The 2021 Terrain Biennial runs from October 2nd - November 15th, 2021 in the Chicagoland area and satellite locations nationally including New York and internationally in India. The 2021 Terrain Biennial features over 250 artist projects.
More or less complete list of participating artists:
Sabina Ott, Teresa Albor, Liz Harvey, Dimple.B.Shah, Navya. N Nataraja, Romicon Revola, Shan Re, Sharon Rose J. Bosco, Bill Mitchell, Eric Von Haynes & Lisa Armstrong, Janelle OMalley, Christopher Robert Jones and Liza Sylvestre, Alberto Aguilar, Alex Mendez, Alexis Clodfelter, alt_space, an emard, Andi Crist,Angela Lopez, Asha Iman Veal, Bad at Sports, Bishal (Bhaikaji) Manandhar, CATIE BURRILL aka @TheCyberCowgirl and THE WEE RANCH, Cecilia Beaven, CV Peterson, Dan Nelson, Deirdre Colgan Jones, D. Denenge Duyst-Akpem, Flat Rate, Ghost Army, I Found U Artist Collective, Jess Bass, Andy Hunt, Rob Sohmer, Catherine Schwalbe, Julieta Cheung, Rio Chen, Justin Nalley, Katherine Skwira-Brown, Katie Vota, Keeley Haftner, Kelly VanderBrug, Laurie Lebreton, Linda Bullen, Louise Pappageorge, Mara Baker, Marjorie Guttman, Meg Guttman, Megan Williamson, Michael D Workman, Mike Lopez/Lauren Leving, Millicent Kennedy, Ecco / Aquí, Natalie Clark, Olivia Harris & Cristal Sabbagh, Paige Naylor, Ravi Jha, Robert Anderson, Sarah Rieser, SEA Photo: Architectures of Gathering, Sherry Antonini, Sonya Bogdanova, Susannah Papish & Melissa Potter, Valerie Xanos, YuHsin Wu, D. Denenge Duyst-Akpem, Abraham Avnisan, Caroline Robe, Claire Ashley, Craig Black, Judd Morrissey, Kevin Shannon, Tatiana Sky, Andrew Schachman, Niccolò Moronato, Devin Balara, Mylan Nguyen, Cameron Cameron, Teresa Albor, Marisa Bernotti, Amy Bernard, Robin Dluzen, Alice George, Anne Hayden Stevens, Beth Iska, Brian Petrone, Casey Carsel, Chalet Cornelias-Baker, Erin Minckley, Eseosa Edebiri, Gary LaPointe Jr., Grant Newman, The Donut Shop + Leighton Greenwood, Jenny Rafalson, Julie Rivera, Kathy Halper, Kevin Valentine, Kids Create Change, Larsen Husby, Leah Gallant, Maggie Wong, Maria Antonia Villaseñor-Marchal, Monika Meier, Nancy Y. Kim, Natan Diacon-Furtado, Natalie Clark, Niki Nolin, Paul Lederer, Rebecca Hill, Shawn Decker, Shruti Dutta, Spencer Krywy, Travis Neel, Yeefah Thurman, Yvette Meltzer, Rahma Shahid Karim, Abby Friend, Bryan Northup, Gina Lee Robbins, Jae Green, Judith Brotman/Burt Eisenstein, Karen Gubitz , Liz Chilsen, Alberto Aguilar, Madeleine Aguilar, Rosalyn Gingerich, Jessica Harvey, Marco Rosichelli & Ryan Peter Miller (Llaboratory Co), Bhagya AjaiKumar, Babita Das, assaf evron, Cecilia Beaven, Edra Soto, Jim Duignan, Mayumi Lake, Nelly Agassi, Megha Jain, skelly, Rachel Davis, Alejandro Figueredo Diaz Pereda, Barbara Hashimoto, Daniela Soberman, Jen Smith, Sarah Umles, Rebecca Niederlander, Andrew Cozzens, Celine Browning, Bhavani GS, Jennifer Bastian, Shilpa Bhat, Umesha VM, Bobbi & Steve Meier, Sophia Munic, Amal K A, Amanda Light, Amber Bowen, Andrew Brehm, Carla Aurich, Courtney Puckett, Damfino, Daniel Giordano, Erica Hauser, Jennifer Lauren Smith, Jennifer Rawlison, Joel Weissman, KathQueen McElduff Lyons, Kayla Noble, Leonardo Martinez, Liz Nielsen, Matthew Lusk, Michelle Batho, Neen Rivera, Philippe Halaburda, Qasi Pink, Rita LeDuc, Serena Domingues, Stuart Sachs, Tal Gluck, Vivien Collens, Zsofia Keresztes, Philippe Halaburda, Alexis Brocchi, Alison Balcanoff, Jane Georges, Annabelle Two-Rivers, Anne Stagg, Aubrey Manson, Bobbi Meier/Snacktime, Bryan Northup, Burton Isenstein, Claire Arctander & Latham Zearfoss, Cody Norman, Elaine Luther, Elizabeth Burke Dain, Galen Odell-Smedley, Gretchen Jankowski, Joan Chihan, Katie Rodrigues, Kushala Vora & Alexis Brocchi, Madeleine Bailey, Margarat Buchen, Marzena Ziejka, Matthew Girson, Micaela Krol, Nikki Anderson, Raquel Vannucci, Rebecca Keller, Samuel Schwindt, Stephanie Joan Brooks, Sue Wedow, Pityless Consulting, Atefeh Farajolahzadeh, Liz Weinstein , Michele Silvetti-Schmitt, Tallulah Cartalucca & Jill Bocskay, Nora Maité Nieves / Sarah Umles, Adam Milner, Kevin Clancy, Naomi Nakazato, Nicholas Lowe, Mike Simi, Britny Wainwright, Catherine Reinhart, Christopher Tice, Corey Mahoney, Elisabeth Horan, Emmy Lingscheit, Gina Hunt, Guen Montgomery & Emily Ward Bivens, Jennifer Colten, Jennifer Holt, John Steck Jr., Kalaija Mallery in collaboration with Kelsey Hamilton Davis, Kirsten Heteji, Lee Hunter, Marianne Laury, Melissa Oresky, Morgan Rose Free, Peoria Guild of Black Artists, Rachel Leah Cohn, Rachel Lebo & Janie Stamm, Ruth Burke, Titus Wonsey, UIS Sculpture, Erin Washington, Angus Carter, Cheyenne K Crawford, Christian Oiticica, Drea Howenstein, Noelia Nunez, Sarah Jones, Sophia May, Chalet Cornelias-Baker, Clint Sleeper & Chalet Cornellas-Baker, Clinton Sleeper, Jo-Ann Morgan, Judith Brotman, Jill Downen, James Jaxxa, Janet Lee, Mark Andreas, Art & Everyday Life, Ecco/Aqui
Terrain Exhibitions offers an interactive online map on its website to help art lovers explore biennial sites and plan in-person visits. The online map provides details on featured projects, their locations and website information. Visitors can use the map to see what sites are in proximity to one another and plan self-guided walking tours. Alternatively, you can use the map for virtual site visits to the most far-afield installations.
Visit www.terrainexhibitions.org for more information.
Press Mentions
The Chicago Reader: https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/exploring-the-terrain/
New City Chicago: https://art.newcity.com/2021/10/01/a-plea-for-public-art-terrain-biennial-invites-viewers-to-keep-in-touch/
The New Indian Express: https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/art/2021/sep/27/bengaluru-artist-shan-reslatest-workselected-for-the-chicago-basedterrain-biennial-2021-will-be-35757.html
WHSV 3: https://www.whsv.com/2021/10/01/international-public-art-festival-comes-staunton/
Chronogram: https://www.chronogram.com/hudsonvalley/terrain-biennial/Content?oid=13710386
Forest Park Review: https://www.forestparkreview.com/2021/10/12/art-to-keep-in-touch-despite-pandemic/
Bad At Sports: http://badatsports.com/2021/episode-779-terrain-2021/
The Journal: https://uisjournal.com/top-stories/2021/10/09/springfield-enos-park-terrain-biennial/
Alameda Sun: https://alamedasun.com/news/artist-liz-harvey%E2%80%99s-works-display
Daily Northwestern: https://dailynorthwestern.com/2021/10/11/ae/terrain-biennial-brings-23-pieces-of-art-to-the-evanston-community/
Illinois Times: https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/the-neighborhood-is-going-to-art/Content?oid=14202274
WHSV 3: https://www.whsv.com/2021/10/13/staunton-outside-arts-takes-creativity-more-places/
New City: https://art.newcity.com/2021/10/15/rethinking-exhibition-making-a-review-of-mike-lopez-at-material/
Block Party Community Event
The 2021 Biennial will kick off with a traditional block party held in Chicago, IL!
This year’s biennial kickoff event will take place at Anthony Overton Elementary School, 221 E. 49th Street, on Saturday, October 2nd from 1:00-5:00pm.
The block party is a chance for community members to celebrate public art and artist activations with music, food, and family friendly activities. Join us for the Terrain Biennial opening receptions and programming throughout the Chicagoland area. We will kick off celebrations with the Terrain Biennial Block Party community event at Anthony Overton Elementary School, 221 E. 49th Street, on October 2 from 1:00-5:00pm. This program features site specific installations, artist activations and performance programming featuring Alberto Aguilar, Jade Foreman, Keeley Haftner, Ravi Jha, Duncan MacKenzie, AJ McClenon, Keishjuan Owens, Sarah Reiser, YuHsin Wu and activations by Brooke Lord, SAIC Chess Club, Bad At Sports, The Love Fridge and Marz Community Brewing Co. Music performances by Madeleine Aguilar, violinist Edith Yokley of the Chicago Sinfonietta and DJ set with Papeon on the 1’s & 2’s. This event is brought to you in part by Creative Grounds as a program of the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
This event is brought to you in part by Creative Grounds as a program of the Chicago Architecture Biennial and hosted by the Washington Park Development Group and Borderless Studio.
Thank you to all our supporters including the Illinois Arts Council, Hyde Park Art Center Artists Run Chicago Grant, Sixty Inches from Center, Newcity Chicago, Marz Community Brewing and all the volunteers, artists, curators and hosts without whom the Terrain Biennial would not happen.
Terrain Biennial opens on Saturday, October 2 and concludes on Monday, November 15, Sabina Ott day, to honor her life and legacy.
IMPORTANT DATES
Open Call Applications: May 1- July 15th, 2021
Notifications: August 15, 2021
Public Announcement: September 1, 2021
Biennial Fundraiser at Compound Yellow: September 10, 2021
Installation Dates: September 26-October 1, 2021
Biennial Dates: October 2-November 15, 2021
Opening Reception + Block Party at Overton Elementary: October 2, 2021
Closing Date + Sabina Ott Day: November 15, 2021
Deinstallation: November 16-20, 2021