Sorry to report back so negatively but I had high hopes for the 798 Beijing Biennale. Unfortunately, the opening day was extremely chaotic and guests were sweltering in the heat. During the opening speeches there were performance artists in the crowd so most of the guests were staring at the performances rather than listening to the speakers.

In addition many of the more controversial speakers were not allowed to give their lectures such as the owner of the famous Chongqing nail house. This is a miniature replica located at one of the participating sites.

The main exhibition hall is in 706 Originality Square which housed many mediocre installations. The following was one of the only works that caught my eye only because of the intricate Disney carvings on the front hood of the trailer. The piece was made by Zhang Kexin titled “Chinese People! Exotic Destiny! Mobile Trailer!”

In addition to the main building, several 798 galleries are participating in the Biennale, such as Yan Club Arts Center, With Space, BTAP-Beijing Tokyo Art Projects and SZ Art Center. Most of these locations were sub-par with the exception of BTAP. Their exhibition was quite humorous and satirical. All of the artists in this exhibition are pan-asian women who live and work in NYC.

Most Mannish Granddaughter award by Swati Khurana.

United States of North America PASSPORT by Erica Harrsch
If America + Mexico + Canada were combined.

Guests get to spin the wheel to win a passport!