
With the global situation surrounding the pandemic, 2020 has been a year of challenges where even the best of plans have been met with insurmountable limitations that have resulted in the postponements and closures of biennials and similar events all over the world.
On our side, our annual assembly was originally scheduled to be hosted in Riga in collaboration with the organisers of RIBOCA2 after our acceptance of their generous offer to support the 7th General Assembly of IBA. In response to the given circumstances, we had to make the difficult choice to transition our event away from an anticipated member biennial and to convert the format into an online webinar with consideration for travel restrictions and the safety of all of our members around the world.
It is with that reality that we invite you to attend our very first online programme this December 3rd and December 4th. Please find details about the upcoming event below.
7th General Assembly of the International Biennial Association (IBA)
Co-organised by the International Biennial Association (IBA) and the Perennial Biennial
December 3, 2020
IBA and Perennial Biennale Online Conference: Biennials as an Antidote
Open Dialogue Session
2:00pm – 4:30pm UTC
Moderated by Shwetal Patel and Maria Lind
Online (Limited Capacity)
December 4, 2020
7th General Assembly
1:00pm – 2:00pm UTC
7th General Assembly + Discussion
Online (Limited Capacity)
PASS#2 Panel: Storytelling, Solidarity, Pedagogy
2:30pm – 3:30pm UTC
Panellists: Claire Tancons, Maria Thereza Alves, and Zairong Xiang
Moderated by Anne Barlow and Bige Örer
Online (Public)
PASS#2 Panel: Thriving Otherwise: Pandemic, Justice and Sustainability
3:30pm – 4:30pm UTC
Panellists: Adam Khalil, Andrés Jaque, Denise Ferreira da Silva, Marina Otero
Moderated by Başak Senova and Sylvie Fortin
Online (Public)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
The deadline to register is November 28th.
Created as a collaborative initiative between IBA and the Perennial Biennial, our primary programme, titled ‘Biennials as an Antidote’, will take place on December 3rd and will focus on offering a platform for members of the international biennial community to reflect upon their experiences connected to the impacts of COVID-19. The purpose of this dialogue will be to offer various perspectives of how professionals have been managing the ongoing pandemic that has created a uniquely common experience that has affected diverse individuals and institution in varied manners.
Not only are you invited to attend all of the events of our assembly, but we also request for you to participate in our programme directly by adding your voice to this international dialogue and to share your experiences in this conversation. The webinar is designed to provide opportunities for solidarity within our growing international community. The exchange will be closed to invitees in order to encourage open discussion, originating from a place of critical honesty. Content from the webinar dialogue will not be published without prior written consent from featured participants.
Though our assemblies have originally been limited to current members of IBA, we would like to take this unique opportunity to welcome non-members from biennials who have not yet had a chance to participate in one of our previous events or conferences. Our intention is to feature voices from biennials all over the world, and we therefore encourage our own members to reach out to trusted colleagues connected to other biennials in the hope of creating an expanding networks across our biennial fraternity.
In addition to the main dialogue, the formalities of the 7th General Assembly will take place on December 4th and give attendees a space for discussion in order to gauge the impressions of the conversations that took place in the previous day through shared feedback and discussion.
The final portion of our assembly will conclude with public panels featuring significant protagonists who have contributed to the much-anticipated second edition of ‘PASS: Journal of the International Biennial Association’ as a means of celebrating its official release to the public in its new format. These sessions will follow and extend the conversations that have already begun with the first edition of PASS and allow members and other participants a chance to take an active part in discussions with the contributors.
To confirm your attendance at the 7th General Assembly of IBA, we ask that you please complete the registration form at your earliest convenience.

