Catherine de Zegher reveals theme for 2013 Moscow Biennale

Around 80 artists from 25 countries will participate in the Moscow Biennale this autumn, the main theme of which is “More Light”, it was revealed yesterday. The theme was chosen by the biennale’s curator Catherine de Zegher to encourage “enlightened” dialogue between the biennale, the artist and audience.

It is also hoped that artists will take the opportunity to address the concept of time and space. “In the era of globalisation, the perception of time is no longer determined by geography,” says De Zegher, who previously worked in the drawings department of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. “Now we compare world time according to the rhythm of neo-liberal capitalism and the concept of time and space has become interchangeable.”

For the biennale, British artist Alia Syed will present her film Panopticon Letters: Missive I, an experimental film in which narratives shift from past to present through a series of letters. Art group City Ustinov from Izhevsk will be exploring the concept of “slow time” by stitching together a micro-sculpture from found rags, decorated with wood, metal and stones. The complete list of artists participating will be published at the end of July.

The biennale has also invited artists to speak about the environment in the context of global disasters. Among them are Russian artist Aslan Gaysumov, who will speak about war, and Azerbaijani photojournalist Rena Effendi, who will take up the topic of pollution.

The 5th Biennale will take place from 20 September to 20 October with the main exhibition in Manege museum. There will also be a number of fringe exhibitions at galleries across the city including at the Tretyakov State Gallery, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and the Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture.