a hand that is all our hands combined - Göteborgs Internationella Konstbiennal

Curator Christina Lehnert collaborates here with artists whose practice is characterized by acts of solidarity. At the same time, they fight for artistic freedom, and challenge the institutions that bow to political pressures. Through interest in political events, involvement in social movements and alternative ways of expression, a common responsibility for the present emerges.

How do we resist narratives that create division? How can we act in solidarity? And how do we preserve artistic freedom in times when rhetoric is characterized by polarization?

The exhibition has emerged with the conviction that art can contribute to alternative and collective narratives in a time when democratic values ​​are questioned.

* The title of the biennial, a hand that is all our hands combined, is taken from the poem Personal Effects by Solmaz Sharif. In Swedish: a hand that is all our hands combined, translated by Ida Börjel & Jennifer Hayashida in the poetry collection Look published by Rámus förlag, 2017.

Artists: Noor Abed, Basma al-Sharif, Patricia L. Boyd, Simnikiwe Buhlungu, Raven Chacon, Moki Cherry, Siri Derkert, Hans Haacke, Hanni Kamaly, Rosalind Nashashibi, Thuy-Han Nguyen-Chi & Dalena Tran & Andrew Yong Hoon Lee, Christian Nyampeta, Lydia Ourahmane, Olivia Plender, Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo), Lala Rukh, Georgia Sagri, Helena Uambembe and at the invitation of Jonelle Twum/ Black Archives Sweden, Kiluanji Kia Henda, Tiago Mena Abrantes and Pamela Z.

The curator of GIBCA 2025 is Christina Lehnert. Lehnert is curator at the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden. In recent years, she has curated a series of exhibitions focused on art that reflects on political events, often by exploring micro-narratives against the backdrop of larger socio-political issues.

Collaborators

Röda Sten Konsthall is the main organizer of the Gothenburg International Art Biennial. The 13th edition is co-produced with the Gothenburg City Library, Gothenburg Art Museum, Gothenburg Art Gallery and the Art Museum in Skövde.