The Liverpool Biennial touring programme brings works by leading international artists, commissioned and presented at the UK biennial of contemporary art, to spaces across the North of England.

Exhibitions in 2019

Humber Street Gallery (Hull)
Inci Eviner / Suki Seokyeong Kang / Annie Pootoogook
18 January – 31 March 2019

Humber Street Gallery will be taken over by three artists. Inci Eviner’s film installation Reenactment of Heaven reflects on ideas of religion, authority and female agency. Land Sand Strand is a multi-part installation by Suki Seokyeong Kang consisting of painting, sculpture and video; whilst Annie Pootoogook’s drawings challenge traditional notions of Inuit art, instead depicting the realities of daily life as she saw it.

The Turnpike (Leigh)
Mohamed Bourouissa
16 February – 25 March 2019

The centrepiece of The Turnpike’s presentation is Horse Day – a film by Mohamed Bourouissa in which the artist stages and documents an equestrian event focusing on a North Philadelphia community’s efforts at neighbourhood revitalisation.

Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre (Bury)
Aslan Gaisumov / Janice Kerbel
23 February – 4 May 2019

On display at Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre will be works by two artists. In the Moving Image Gallery, visitors will find Keicheyuhea, Aslan Gaisumov’s critically acclaimed film reflecting on the struggles and turbulent histories of the Chechen people. In the adjacent room will be Fight, a series of silkscreen posters by Janice Kerbel.

Super Slow Way (Burnley)
Reetu Sattar
7 – 30 June 2019

Super Slow Way is bringing Reetu Satar’s film Harano Sur (Lost Tune) to Thompson Park in Burnley. The work focuses on the harmonium, a musical instrument tightly integrated into the traditional culture of Bangladesh but in danger of disappearing. Sattar will also undertake a residency in Burnley over the summer.

In-Situ (Brierfield and Nelson)
Madiha Aijaz
8 – 30 June 2019

In-Situ will present film works by Madiha Aijaz in the public setting of Nelson Library, including her film These Silences Are All the Words which explores the public libraries of Karachi, Pakistan. Other film works by Aijaz will similarly offer a perspective on a country sharply divided along linguistic lines. 

The Tetley (Leeds)
Holly Hendry / Taus Makhacheva
21 June 2019 – 13 October 2019 (Holly Hendry)
6 February 2020 – 31 October 2020* (Taus Makhacheva)

The Tetley will host Holly Hendry’s large-scale public artwork and works by Taus Makhacheva as part of a wider solo exhibition. Cenotaph by Holly Hendry reflects the artist’s interest in the underground architecture of cities, their circulation systems and hidden histories. ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) Spa by Taus Makhacheva is a ruin-like sculptural and video installation that also serves as a fully-functioning spa.

*Please note that Taus Makhacheva's exhibition 'Hold Your Horses' was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and has been extended to run until 31 October 2020. For more information on how to visit the exhibition safely, please visit The Tetley's website here. 

Touchstones Rochdale (Rochdale)
Annie Pootoogook
13 July – 21 September 2019

In Touchstones Rochdale, a presentation of drawings by Annie Pootoogook will challenge conventional expectations of Inuit art. Pootoogook’s drawings serve as a diary of the artist’s life and chronicle the everyday events of modern Inuit life in the small community of Kinngait, Cape Dorset as she saw it. Immediate and direct in style, they depict poignant moments of emotion or violence in intimate domestic environments.

Past Exhibitions

Cooper Gallery (Barnsley)
Betty Woodman: Ceramics with Painting of the Modern Age
20 January – 7 April 2018

The Turnpike (Leigh)
Mark Leckey: Dream English Kid 1964 – 1999 AD
10 June – 26 August 2017

Northlight Mill with In-Situ (Brierfield)
Krzysztof Wodiczko: Guests
20 May – 11 June 2017

Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre (Bury)
Céline Condorelli, Audrey Cottin, Mark Leckey and Rita McBride
1 April – 9 September 2017

Touchstones Rochdale (Rochdale)
Marvin Gaye Chetwynd: Dogsy Ma Bone
11 March – 8 July 2017

The Liverpool Biennial touring programme is supported with National Lottery funding through Arts Council England's Strategic Touring fund.