Brent 2020, the body which is spearheading the north London borough’s London Borough of Culture programme has announced that the event will not be a one-off for this year, but is to inaugurate the first Brent Biennial.
Brent is the second London borough to receive the Borough of Culture accolade and the additional City Hall funding after Waltham Forest in 2019.
The programme includes 23 new commissions and projects, that explore Brent’s history, cultures, and people, spanning sculpture, installation, mural, film and performance, overseen by artistic director Lois Stonock, that will be presented in locations across the borough. ArtReview is to partner with the biennial’s public programme.
The featured artists include: Pio Aad who will install work on Kilburn High Road; Barby Asante will initiate gatherings online and in Brent; Rasheed Araeen is at The Library at Willesden Green; Ruth Beale at Kilburn Library; David Blandy at Harlesden Library Plus; Helen Delany and Brenda Aherne: Electronic Sheep will work in Kilburn; Adam Farah is to work across the borough; Lucy Fine will work online and across the borough; FOR NOW for House of Life at Willesden Jewish Cemetery; Carl Gabriel at Preston Community Library; Avant Gardening at Barham Park Library; Brian Griffiths at Cricklewood Library; Jaykoe at the Library at Willesden Green; Dawn Mellor at Kingsbury Library and High Road; Dan Mitchell at Wembley Library; Yasmin Nicholas will work across the borough; The October Anthropologist & Abäke at Two Doors Down, Willesden Green; Paul Purgas is at Camden Art Centre; Imran Qureshi at Ealing Road Library; John Rogers at Kensal Rise Library; Dhelia Snoussi will work in Kilburn; Jude Wacks will work online; and Abbas Zahedi will work across the borough.
As well as working with local community groups, many of the projects take inspiration from the borough’s famous former residents including Jayaben Desai, Cyrille Regis, Keith Moon, Rachel Yankey, Janet Kay, Twiggy, Bob Marley and Trojan Records. Dawn Mellor is to create a large-scale mural celebrating the life of local hero George Michael, who lived and went to school in the area.
Stonock said: ‘We’ve created the Brent Biennial as a platform for the visual arts in Brent that can develop over the coming years and as one of the legacies of Brent 2020. Brent’s creativity lies in its communities, in the streets and its civic spaces. We see the Biennial as an opportunity to shine a light on the rich stories, ideas and voices that reside in the borough and also a unique context for artists outside of the borough to work in. Our hope is it reflects the true diversity of London with all its energy and talent, and shows how art can be part of our everyday lives.’
The biennial will run 19 September – 13 December 2020.
