Following on the heels of its successful launch two years ago, The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands has opened the second instalment of the Cayman Islands Biennial—an ambitious and wide-reaching survey of the Caymanian contemporary art scene, which is organised this year under the title Reimagined Futures. For those not familiar, a biennial is a large-scale multisite exhibition project featuring numerous artists, that recurs every two years and seeks to actively promote artistic diversity, experimentation, and critical thought. While the concept for such exhibitions originated with the first Venice Biennale in 1895, they have subsequently evolved into a truly global phenomenon— with numerous regional examples such as the long-established Havana Biennial being since joined by the Bermuda Biennial and similarly conceived ‘National exhibitions’ in Jamaica, the Bahamas and elsewhere across the Caribbean.
For the second Cayman Islands Biennial, artworks by 41 Cayman-based artists are simultaneously on display at six different locations across the Cayman Islands – the National Gallery, Owen Roberts International Airport, the National Trust’s Mission House, the QEII Botanic Park, and the Little Cayman Museum, along with special programming in Cayman Brac. Working in a wide variety of media from painting, photography and video, to collage, drawing and sculpture, video, ceramics and installation art, the artists in Reimagined Futures actively respond to our contemporary experience and offer a window into the most recent trends in Cayman’s ever-growing artistic community.
One notable difference between this year’s exhibition and its predecessor is of course the very different circumstances we find ourselves in today— which are vastly different to those in 2019. From the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and resurgent environmental threats, to significant elections, both in Cayman and overseas, and widespread protests around issues of racial and social justice, to name but a few—this whirlwind of global events has undeniably shaped the narrative and the tone of Reimagined Futures, which was conceived as a direct response to the challenges we presently face at home and collectively across the globe. From the outset of the project, NGCI’s curatorial team encouraged artists to directly engage with topical themes—among them sustainability and environmental stewardship; identity and the politics of place; social and racial justice, and the task of ‘reimagining’ a better tomorrow in the midst of uncertain times. Such varied and difficult subject matter has inspired many of the participating artists to push themselves and their work in new and exciting directions— a fact reflected in the quality and sophistication of this year’s biennial submissions.
Curating the exhibition along this theme has not only allowed for greater stylistic and thematic consistency— helping to shape a diverse assortment of work into a coherent whole— it has also amplified the message of the participating artists and their respective contributions, giving a platform for difficult yet profoundly necessary conversations to take place in our community. In addition to the exhibition itself, this year’s biennial is supplemented by a dynamic programme of events—from artists’ talks and panel discussions to bus tours taking visitors to the participating off-site venues; a slate of educational programmes for schoolchildren and adults alike, as well as professional development opportunities for those working in the creative sector here in Cayman. With a soon to be published catalogue and accompanying awards ceremony both forthcoming, Reimagined Futures promises to be another exciting benchmark in the continued development of contemporary art here in the Cayman Islands.
