Forty artists across Ithaca and New York City participated in the six-month-long 2022 Cornell Biennial. The Cornell Council for the Arts (host of the Biennial) facilitated 36 events, all of which were open to the public and free to attend. The curatorial theme of “Futurities, Uncertain” took many forms and interpretations from the textile arts to robotics to sound installations. As part of a satellite program, The Cherry Arts Gallery in Ithaca held a regional competition to showcase the works of six local artists in their new gallery space. The Biennial also hosted two exhibitions featuring seven international and U.S.-based artists as part of the Mellon Public Curatorial Expression program, dedicated to assisting graduate students in pursuing curatorial work. See the full article outlining the 2022 Cornell Biennial below, and view the numerous videos in this section.

Artists Mendi and Keith Obadike gave a captivating lecture, “Reprise,” offering a detailed look into their artistic partnership over the years.

A rapidly rising star in textile, visual, and performance arts, Sara Jimenez created a series of handmade fabric panels that hung between the trees of the Arts Quad in September and October. Sara works at the intersection of social justice and art, and her installation served as a dialogue between Goldwin Smith Hall and “otherness.” The Cornell Biennial was incredibly lucky to showcase her powerful work. Below is a video created by the talented Shira Evergreen (Uplifted Ithaca) that is housed on Sara’s Instagram account (which in and of itself is a work of art).

For the 2022 Cornell Biennial, the Johnson Museum commissioned his newest “Background Story,” a lyrical light box in dialogue with an historical Chinese ink painting in the Museum’s collection. Through the manipulation of recycled plastic and miscellaneous trash from daily life, the artist dilutes or intensifies light to “draw” an ink-like image on glass that conveys traditional Chinese reverence for nature while serving as a warning about humans’ ongoing mistreatment of the environment.

On September 17, Biennial artists, students, and the Ithaca community gathered to learn more about the exhibitions and performances featured in the Biennial. Through a series of four themed discussions, artists conveyed the deeper meaning behind their work. View the discussions below.