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Interview Wayne Baerwaldt curator Montreal Biennale P1
This is the first part of an indepth interview with Wayne Baerwaldt the curator of the 2007 Montréal Biennale. I have known Wayne Baerwaldt since he was director of Plug In Inc. an artist Run Gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (1986-1999). We have not always seen eye to eye over the years, but there is a sense in this interview that both of us have mellowed. Wayne talks frankly about how the Biennale de Montréal came together, the choice of artists, his intuitive approach to curating, his vision of a Canadian Biennale, how and why the show was installed as it was, and his view of himself as an actor in the creative process and the production of culture. The interview is illustrated with shots of the works by over 30 of the artists in the show, see list below, most of which were taken during the opening of the exhibition. They give a taste of the energy of the show, rather than formally documenting the art. Wayne has a lot of experiences in his dealings with in the art world; his accomplishments are impressive, both locally and internationally (see this bio and CV http://ciac.ca/biennale2007/en/commissaire.html#bio). He has many critics, but I think historically we will look back and acknowledge that he contributed greatly to opening up the international art scene to Canadian, and especially Winnipeg artists. He did this by including Canadian and international artists in the exhibitions he curated. But more importantly, over the years, he has demonstrated to the world how a seemingly-insignificant "cultural outpost" such as Winnipeg or Lethbridge can not only make sense on the international stage, but also can capture the imagination and even become desirable to the cultural elite. In other words he helped us feel good about ourselves and never left his origins behind. Wayne's road is very interesting, at times impressive, at times off-putting. But what comes out in the interview is not arrogance, but rather a probing humility. Wayne is honest about his personal and intuitive approach to curating. And, while he clearly has developed a confidence and maturity in his approach, it is one that leads to constant questioning rather than any form of complacency. The unexpected rawness and subtle complexities of his Montreal Biennale are proof. This interview was first prepared for www.vernissage.tv List of artists/artworks seen, all courtesy of the artists and with permission from the Montreal Centre international d'art contemporaine, in order of appearance: Part 1 MY BARBARIAN, Dieux du Canada / KENT MONKMAN, Salon indien, Courtesy Bruce Bailey Fine Arts / THEO SIMS, The Candahar / DAVID HOFFOS, Scenes from the House Dream, Phase 5, Courtesy TrépanierBaer Gallery / GRAEME PATTERSON, The Hockey Rink, Collection Art Gallery of Nova Scotia / SCOTT MCFARLAND, Huntington Botanical Garden, San Marino, Ca., Courtesy Monte Clark Gallery / SUSAN TURCOT, Fault Lines, Courtesy Galerie Arndt & Partner / DAVID ALTMEJD, Loup-garou 2 & The Hunter, Courtesy Andrea Rosen Gallery and Stuart Shave/Modern Art/ DANA CLAXTON, Sitting Bull and the Moose Jaw Sioux, Courtesy Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery / IRAN DO ESPIRITO SANTO, Déjà Vu 2, Courtesy Sean Kelly Gallery / LUANNE MARTINEAU, The Body, Jessica Bradley Art + Projects / ELEANOR BOND, Places for Sleeping and Working / JEFF FUNNELL, Notes from an Inquest / CHRISTINE DAVIS, With rise of curtain ad-libbing from text..., Courtesy Olga Korper Gallery