BIENNIAL SYNOPSIS

 

Building upon the first three editions of the Cayman Islands Biennial — multi-site, tri-island exhibitions developed by the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands — the fourth instalment of this highly anticipated project will launch in September 2025. For this upcoming iteration, the Biennial will once again present the latest developments within the Caymanian contemporary art scene, assembling an assortment of the strongest works in a variety of media from artists across the Cayman Islands, the Caymanian diaspora, and their international collaborators.

This year’s biennial acknowledges the unprecedented upheavals and accelerated pace of change that has characterised the Caymanian experience in recent years, mirroring in microcosm the broader state of world affairs in the first decades of the twenty-first century. Challenging the prevailing characterisation of island life as somewhat insulated from the effects of global geo-politics, Caymanian society has now reached a watershed moment—standing on the threshold of dramatic transformations that have already begun to impact our natural ecology, built environment, political outlook, and wider identity as a people.

And at the same time, while we navigate these changes as a nation, there is a renewed awareness of individuals as worlds unto themselves: from conversations on personal rights, to highly curated social media, to bias-confirming algorithms, all of which have contributed to higher rates of loneliness and isolation than we have seen in generations. With this in mind, the title of this biennial, Archipelago, is intended to foreground the unique intersection of our individual and collective roles in shaping the current moment, just as an archipelago can be discussed as both a single conglomerate entity and as hundreds of distinct islands. Recognising the pressing need for open and constructive dialogue, this exhibition is conceived as a nexus for the collaborative exchange of critical ideas and imaginative possibilities.

Submissions should address or engage in some way with the theme and subject matter of this exhibition synopsis, including (but not limited to) one of the following sub-themes as they manifest on personal, national, or international levels, or the relationship between those spheres:

 

  1. “Culture Shift”: The significance and continued relevance of Caymanian cultural heritage in contemporary society; understandings of Caymanian identity, past and present, on personal or collective registers; nationality, race, diaspora, and multiculturalism within Caymanian cultural experience; demographic shifts and the implications of rapid population growth.
  2. “Social Dynamics”: Exploring how to relate to one another; communication, interconnectivity, the impacts of digital technology, globalisation, and social media in transforming everyday life and inter-personal relationships; the role of youth and community activism; art engaged with relational aesthetics and/or audience engagement.
  3. “Ecological Legacies”: The shifting terrain of local, regional, and global politics vis-à-vis private or public land; the implications of development, urban planning, and land management to future generations of Caymanians; the relationship between ecological pasts, presents, and futures, from individual and/or communal vantage points; environmental sustainability and climate resiliency.

 

Contemporary work in a wide variety of media will be considered, including (but not limited to) painting, sculpture, photography, digital media, video art, sound art, site-specific installation (at the National Gallery or an alternative space), architectural interventions and public art, as well as fine craft.

Selected artwork will feature in a four-month long exhibition at the National Gallery, with concurrent projects at select venues in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. In addition, one exhibiting artist will be awarded the Bendel Hydes Award with a significant monetary prize and the opportunity to develop a solo exhibition with the National Gallery. The exhibition will also feature an Emerging Artist award, for artists 30 years of age or younger, with a monetary grant towards a residency programme or training opportunity.

 

SUBMISSION PROCESS:

This exhibition is open to residents in the Cayman Islands or Caymanian creative practitioners working overseas. Artists are invited to submit proposals* of work or concept drawings/documents, with an accompanying artist’s statement relating the work to the exhibition synopsis. This should be provided in electronic format only and directed to the attention of the curatorial team at curatorialsupport@nationalgallery.org.ky by Friday, 2 May 2025. A maximum of three works per artists will be considered. Submissions must be accompanied by**:

 

  1. Artist biography (200 words max) and headshot
  2. High resolution image of the proposed work, whether final or drafted (of a quality that can be reproduced in catalogue format)
  3. Artist Statement/Artwork information (title, date, medium, size and a description of 250 words or less)
  4. Any special installation instructions
  5. Link to your website if applicable

[*Final works are not expected at this stage]

[**NGCI curatorial staff are available to assist you with the development of the above material as required.]

 

This is a curated and juried exhibition project. All complete submissions received by the above deadline will be reviewed by the National Exhibition Committee comprised of two guest curators and three local jurors. Awards will be allocated after deliberation by two international jurors and three National Gallery representatives. Successful applicants will be notified by email no later than Monday, 19 May 2025. Final artwork needs to be delivered to the NGCI site on or before Saturday, 6 September 2025. The exhibition will run from Friday, 19 September 2025 until 17 January 2026.

 

For more information email curatorialsupport@nationalgallery.org.ky

 

Previous Biennial Exhibitions:

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