The Foundation for the International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Seville was incorporated on 22 May 2003 for the purpose of directing, organising and producing the BIACS. The primary goal of the International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Seville is to offer a selection of today’s most avant-garde artwork, bringing people together every other year in a supranational gathering that invites visitors to discover where the latest creative tendencies are headed. At the same time, the BIACS also aims to enrich the present cultural panorama by weaving new energy into the current artistic fabric, in response to the growing social demand for quality cultural productions.
Seville shares in this universal demand and rises to meet the challenge armed with the strength of its vast cultural, artistic and intellectual experience. Thus, the Biennial can be defined
as a major artistic and social event that attempts to draw in the most relevant personalities of contemporary art (gallerists, collectors, critics, artists, etc.), contribute to the promotion of quality cultural tourism for the city, and mainly awaken the interest and encourage the involvement of the general public, especially the citizens of Seville, by creating a forum in which topics and issues related to contemporary art can be debated and discussed.
The Seville Biennial aims to make its mark in the international art world by choosing prominent curators for the exhibitions. Objectives The primary objectives of the International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Seville are mainly focused on heightening and reinforcing public awareness and understanding of contemporary art by involving population sectors in this initiative that are not generally interested in or informed of the intricacies of this particular kind of art. Other objectives include serving as a revitalising agent for the current artistic scene and contributing to infuse new energy in today’s cultural offerings. In this sense, the BIACS hopes to spawn other cultural activities and events by inspiring the creation of new means and venues of artistic expression.
BIACS provides an opportunity to contemplate the artwork of internationally renowned artists, many of whose pieces have never before travelled to Spain and others whose creations are exclusively produced for the BIACS exhibit (site-specific works). The BIACS parallel activities – debate forums, symposiums, shows and performances – included in the so-called Cultural Biennial expand upon the contents of the artistic exhibition and invite the public to interact with its discursive proposals.
The purpose of the BIACS cultural proposal is
to affect the lives of everyday citizens, drawing
in visitors from every walk of life in each new edition. The end goal is to give voice to the commitment of society – principally the society of Seville, from whence emerged the cultural unrest that conceived and promoted this great event – to actively encourage understanding and enjoyment of contemporary art, of a mongrel and multicultural art that requires open forums in which it can be adequately expressed and accepted.
Making a concentrated and united effort based on this commitment also implies an interest in projecting a new image of the city to the outside world, replacing the traditional stereotype that is reinforced by the city’s historical attractions with a new context in which modern artistic proposals rife with content and definition can originate and flourish.
The BIACS Foundation has received ample support from the principal public institutions at the local, regional and national levels, acting as benefactors and patrons, as well as from a wide variety of Andalusian and Spanish businesses and professionals who contribute to the creation of the event as sponsors, patrons and benefactors.
