Mineki Murata, My back talk, 2011

Kiyosumi Gallery, Tokyo

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TRIENNALE WROCŁAW 2016
Think Tank lab Triennale International Festival of Contemporary Drawing

The anniversary edition of the Wrocław Triennale of contemporary drawing is coming soon. It has been exactly fifty years since the first International Drawing Exhibition in Wrocław was prepared by Andrzej Will and Andrzej Lachowicz. This is a special occasion for summaries and time for presenting the concept of the Triennale’s nearest future. Over the last half a century ideas defining the character and artistic merit of the review have been undergoing numerous transformations.

The first question which the organizers of this year’s edition of the Triennale posed is therefore connected with the fact that over the years it has witnessed different traditions of approach to art and drawing, as well as the format of the event itself. For most observers, the most interesting period in the history of the Triennale were the 1980s and ‘90s, when the organizers and curators of the review made every effort to follow and present current trends in art, at the same time abandoning the strict regime of disciplinary divisions and defining drawing as a primary medium of recording thought. Since the main objective of the organizers of the 2016 Triennale is to show contemporary drawing practices to the fullest possible extent, it is precisely those traditions that we will be predominantly trying to refer to.

Another crucial task was to answer the question what this year’s Triennale should look like and what form it should take in order to become a reliable tool for observing the most interesting phenomena in art and to register changes in our field of interest. What kind of framework should it adopt if its high-ranking position and artistic level from two decades ago is to be restored? It is in fact a question of range and direction of the necessary change.

And the third question is: what must be done if we want the Triennale’s renewed formula to get us closer not only to creating Central Europe’s biggest and best review of this kind, but also meeting the expectations of its audiences in the way they perceive contemporary drawing, and consequently – their active participation in the festival events.

The questions above are answered in TTT’s programme principles. I hope the enthusiasm and effort we put in creating the unique Triennale in Wrocław will reward the viewers, artists and art lovers with a lot of valuable experience and plenty of satisfaction.

Przemek Pintal
Program Director Triennale Wrocław 2016
Think Tank lab Triennale
Miedzynarodowy Festiwal Rysunku Współczesnego