Exhibition
Building upon the first two editions of the multi-site, tri-island Cayman Islands Biennial, the third instalment of this highly anticipated project 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 and the Caymanian diaspora.
Organised under the title Conversations with the Past—In the Present Tense, the theme of this Biennial takes as its starting point the ways in which history continues to reverberate in the present. Reflecting on the role the past plays in shaping both personal and collective identity, the exhibition considers the multi-faceted nature of Caymanian culture by seeking to initiate conversations around our common understanding of its various social, political, and artistic legacies.
The premise for this exhibition draws inspiration from the writings of cultural theorist Stuart Hall, who defined identity not only as a matter of ‘being’ but of ‘becoming’, ‘belonging as much to the future as it does to the past’. This model of identity encourages a variety of creative re-interpretations of the subject, including the ways in which our individual and collective sense of self is shaped by the interplay of history, memory, and subjective experience. Facilitating engagement with topical themes and subject matter, the biennial lastly seeks to encourage constructive dialogue among artists and audiences, providing a platform for affirmative and thought-provoking conversations.
3rd Biennial judges
Lisa Howie
Lisa Howie is an independent curator, cultural entrepreneur, educator, and writer from Bermuda. She is the Founding Director of the Atlantic World Art Fair (launched 2021) and Black Pony Gallery, both featuring contemporary artists from the Atlantic World. Concurrently, she is the Director of Learning & Engagement at the National Museum of Bermuda and Board Director with the Centennial Bermuda Foundation. Howie is the former Executive Director (2009-2017) and Director of Education & Programming (2006-2009) of Bermuda National Gallery, where she launched, interpreted and developed community programs for 50 exhibitions, including the prestigious Bermuda Biennial, and curated the Havana Biennale, Cuba’s Bermuda showcase.
Davin Ebanks
Davin Ebanks is a Caymanian sculptor who primarily utilizes glass to explore his personal and cultural history and examine the relationship between identity and environment. He is a recipient of the Silver Heritage Star from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation for his contributions to creativity in the Arts. His glass sculptures are in the collection of His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, The Kerry & C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art, and NGCI. His sculpture Adjacent permanently marks the entrance to the NGCI, and in 2019 Ebanks’ work was published in A-Z of Caribbean Art. Key exhibitions include SOFA Chicago and CONTEXT Art Miami during Art Basel, the solo show Nowhere is Blue at The Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and NGCI exhibitions Blue Meridian (solo show, 2010-2011), Luminescent Forms (2014), and Cross Currents – 1st Cayman Islands Biennial (2019).
Leonard Dilbert
Dilbert is a practicing poet who has published the book-length collection Grown From This Ground (2003), led poetry workshops, and led many poetry presentations across the Cayman Islands, Canada, England, and the USA. His poem MANNA was Cayman’s selection for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. In 2013, Dilbert retired from a lifetime career in the Cayman Islands civil service.
Thank you to our sponsor:
Featured Artists
DALLE.E 2 (AI), James Adams, Diane Anglim, Isy B., Babbity Barwick, John Bird, Luelan Bodden, Cameron Bridgeman, John Broad, Mark Chen, Kerri-Anne Chisholm, Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, Randy Chollette, Alan Darvill, Bryony Dixon, Angelica Dodds, Patrice Donalds-Morgan, Kerwin Ebanks, Kathryn Elphinstone, Kaitlyn Elphinstone, Samuel Etoh, Latoya Francis, Carlos Garcia, Alyssa Janae Gilbert, Lana Gilyun, Teresa Grimes, Jamie Hahn, John Reno Jackson, Andre Jennings, Cera-Tan Kennaird, Pamela Kelly Laurenson, Marc Laurenson, Ansel Lawrence, Iain MacRae, Tansy Maki, Chris Mann, Linda McCann, Sarah McDougall, Bridget McPartland, Rochelle Miller, Michael Mothen, Maia Muttoo, Raphael Powery, Yonier Powery, Janine Scriven, Ena Isabel Miller de Selman, Jeffry Sfeir, Kay Smith, Elizabeth Paige Smith, Gordon Solomon, John Gray High School Students, Larisa Sved, Scott Swing, Simon Tatum, Dos Tortugas, Debbi Truchan, Avril Ward, and Xia Zhenya.
Virtual Tour
Lower Exhibition Hall
Dart Auditorium
Mind's Eye Center at Miss Lassie's