(re)connecting.earth (02)

Beyond Water

01.09.–01.10.2023 Genf

Biennale für Kunst und Stadtnatur

Throughout September 2023, the Biennial of Art and Urban Nature (re)connecting.earth (02) - Beyond Water presented works of art by 32 artists on the nature and biodiversity of Lake Geneva. In addition to exhibitions at nine sites near Geneva’s harbour and 2 satellite sites, the programme included workshops, performances, film screenings and a symposium to reflect on the links between art and the environment and give visitors a chance to get closer to urban nature.

Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Live performances with four boats, sails painted by Raul Walch - "Semaphores (Geneva)", 2023. – Lucille Chaboche
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Botanical workshop around the work of Maria Thereza Alves during the Biennial’s closing weekend, 2023. – Lucille Chaboche
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Collective performance guided by artist Uriel Orlow, La Libellule, 2023. – Lucille Chaboche
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Visitors during a guided tour at the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Léman looking at the work of Pinar Yoldas, ASL, 2023. – Laura Moreva
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
"Duchamp au jardin" workshop, Bains des Pâquis, 2023. – Lucille Chaboche
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Poetry reading by Heike Fiedler, Bains des Pâquis, 2023. – Laura Moreva
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Film screenings: Two Sides of the Moon of Som Supaparinya – Main basse sur l'eau of Jérôme Fritel – Donc, Socrate est mortel of Alexandre Isabelle, École des Vergers, Meyrin, 2023. – Lucille Chaboche
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Wedding of a human and A.I. - Seagul's wedding, artwork by Tchan-Zâca collective, Bateau Genève, 2023. – Laura Moreva
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Conference "Memory of Venice – State of Knowledge", La Libellule, 2023. – Lucille Chaboche
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Collective performance guided by artist Uriel Orlow, La Libellule, 2023. – Lucille Chaboche
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Guided tour, Quai Gustave-Ador, 2023. – Laura Moreva
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Visitors listening the work of Alexandre Joly "Ville subaquatique et mondes parallèles", Lac des Vernes, 2023. – Lucille Chaboche
Beyond Water: Biennial of Art and Urban Nature in Geneva
Art as a source of exchange - Pâquis landing stage with works by Diana Lelonek, Gabo Camnitzer and Luis Alexandre Casanovas Blanco and Badel/Sarbach, 2023. – Julien Gremaud

By presenting works created by Swiss and international artists sensitive to environmental issues - including 15 new productions - this Biennial of Art and Urban Nature helped to highlight the diversity of urban ecosystems and to support and promote the wealth of contemporary artistic production linked to ecology.

Artists:

Maria Thereza Alves, Caroline Bachmann, Flurina Badel & Jérémie Sarbach, Mauren Brodbeck, Seba Calfuqueo, Luis & Gabo Camnitzer, Gabo Camnitzer & Lluís Alexandre Casanovas Blanco, Luis Camnitzer, Julian Charrière, Mark Dion, Collectif Tchan-Zâca, Andreas Greiner & Takafumi Tsukamoto, Valérie Favre, Anne-Laure Franchette & Géraldine Honauer, Anne-Laure Franchette & Manon Briod, Marie Griesmar, Hans Haacke, Christina Hemauer & Roman Keller, Monica Ursina Jäger, Alexandre Joly, Diana Lelonek, Diana Lelonek & Denim Szram, Antje Majewski, Adrien Missika, Lucie Morat, Ma Neveu, Uriel Orlow, Carmen Perrin, Som Supaparinya, Raul Walch, Pinar Yoldas, Zheng Bo.

Curator : Bernard Vienat

Organized in collaboration with artistic and environmental associations and institutions, this biennial showcases works of art created by 32 local and international artists. In addition to the public art exhibition, a 30-day program is offered to visitors, including workshops, performances, screenings and lectures. A competition for young artists, bringing together 14 young artists from five Swiss art schools, also provides an opportunity to discover up-and-coming talent in the field of environmental art.

This edition of the Biennial for Art and Urban Nature (re)connecting.earth (02) - Beyond Water would not have been possible without the invaluable support of our organisational partners. Their help, expertise and advice contributed greatly to the smooth running of the Biennial.

Association pour la Sauvegarde du Léman (ASL), Association d’usagères-ers-x des Bains des Pâquis, Les Mouettes gene-voises, Pro Natura Genève, Association pour le Bateau Genève, La Libellule, Festival du Film Vert, meyrin durable, Programme Nature en ville du Canton de Genève, La Ville de Genève, Haute-école d’art et de design (HEAD), Service des expositions de la Ville de Meyrin, Association Anyone Can Sail

With the aim of exploring the capacity of art to draw attention to the rest of the living world in order to encourage everyone to take better care of it, the (re)connecting.earth (02) - Beyond Water edition provided an opportunity for artistic, scientific and poetic experiments enabling everyone to (re)connect with the earth and water.

The Biennial's itinerary takes shape mainly around Geneva's harbour, with art installations all located within a five-minute walk of the "Mouettes genevoises" boat harbours. From the Eaux-Vives beach to the Bateau Genève, via the Quai Gustave-Ador to the Bains des Pâquis, the layout of the works and the focus also give pride of place to places rich in biodiversity, such as the Pointe à la Bise and the Lac des Vernes.