For the 2019 Whitney Biennial, curators Rujeko Hockley and Jane Panetta spent a year traveling, visiting artists in their studio, searching for work that resonated with the times—crucially and energetically (and sometimes optimistically). It’s one of the youngest group of artists in the Biennial’s history: of the 75 artists and collectives included, three-quarters are under the age of 40; only five have exhibited in a Whitney Biennial before.
Among the participants are plenty of our favorites—beloved artists we’ve interviewed and think of as part of the extended Cultured family. Revisit their coverage here, and find their work when the Whitney Biennialopens this Friday, May 17.
Jeffrey Gibson
In Ted Loos’s profile of the painter Jeffery Gibson, the artist earnestly outlines his creative goals: “It’s representation…Until I see clear representation within popular culture of indigenous people and aesthetics, then my pursuit is not done, you know? It’s that simple.” Simple, yes, though Gibson also continually re-examines the storylines associated with every part of his identity: “It’s always been about using my personal narrative to complicate the popular notions of being queer, being gay, being Native American—any of these singular adjectives.”
