TOUCH, SEE, HEAR, SMELL

Liverpool Biennial 2006 at FACT

The fourth Liverpool Biennial, the UK’s largest contemporary and visual arts event, begins on the 16 September and runs until 26 November.

As part of the festival FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) will showcase new commissions that invite visitors to scratch and sniff Liverpool, bridge the gap between the city and Mumbai, explore the architecture and characters of the city and enjoy the work of the Godfather of Thai cinema.

Making full use of the galleries, cinemas and even exterior walls of FACT, internationally acclaimed artists Shilpa Gupta (India), Kelly Mark (Canada), Matthew Buckingham (USA), Sissel Tolaas (Norway), Anu Pennanen (Finland), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand) make FACT a ‘must see’ destination for visitors to this year’s Biennial – expected to exceed the 350 thousand who came to Liverpool’s last Biennial in 2004

“There is only one truly major work in this biennial (2004). Yang Fudong's magnificent,

multi-screen video installation at FACT is a tour de force.”

Adrian Searle, The Guardian, 2004

This year, sit amongst the waves and enjoy Obscure Moorings, a new film by Matthew Buckingham, filmed entirely on Liverpool’s docks and featuring local extras. Get a whiff of Liverpool by sampling Norwegian artist Sissel Tolaas’ sensory, scentual installation OUTSIDEIN. Travel virtually as Shilpa Gupta creates an interactive piece brifile:///usr/share/ubuntu-artwork/home/locales/index-en_GB.htmldging Liverpool and Mumbai. Luxuriate in the rich imagery of Faith, an ambitious new film installation from the acclaimed Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Dip into Kelly Mark’s Liverpool A-Z for a guided tour of the city through its colourful inhabitants and experience A Day in the Office, Anu Pennanen’s window on the working life of Liverpool and the architecture that influences our everyday lives.

FACT’s experimental and adventurous film programme SEEN, will also pick up on the Liverpool Biennial’s International 06 themes of transformation and progress, featuring work by emerging and internationally renowned artists such as Anri Sala, Richard T Walker, Jonas Mekas and Semi Conductor.

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Notes to Editors:

Thursday 14 September: accredited press/professionals are invited for press previews of FACT’s exhibitions from 2.00pm until 6.00pm

Friday 15 September: FACT is open from 10.00am for press previews

Liverpool Biennial 2006 is delivered in association with the city’s major visual arts organisations: Tate Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, Bluecoat Art Centre, FACT and Open Eye as well as smaller arts groups and organisations

Liverpool Biennial's extensive programme consists of three key strands: John Moores 24, International 06 and Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2006. 

The International 06 exhibition is the critical focus of the Biennial and is sensitive to the context of the city - made and seen in Liverpool. Consultant curators Gerado Mosquera (Havana) and Manray Hsu (Taipei/ Berlin) have worked with Liverpool curators to present significant new commissions from International artists.

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For more information, images or interviews regarding the works showing at FACT

please contact Laura Finn or Anna Izza on Tel: (0151) 707 4444 or e-mail izza@fact.co.uk

or finn@fact.co.uk

For more press information on Liverpool Biennial 2006 please contact Catherine Braithwaite:

cat@we-r-lethal.com or go to www.biennial.com

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