Sam Keogh
The Paper Biennial 2024 (June 23 - November 17, 2024) is an international exhibition of high-quality and substantively strong contemporary visual art in which paper as a material plays the leading role.
The theme of the Paper Biennial 2024 is: Animal Farm. All animals are equal but some are more equal than others, based on George Orwell's 1945 book of the same name.
It is a topical subject that can deal with the condition humaine of animals as well as humans. George Orwell's book is an animal fable in the form of a satirical allegorical novella. It is a story about a group of animals on a farm who rebel against the farmer who owns them. They fight for equality, freedom and a happy life. However, the battle fails and the animals end up worse off than before their revolution. Orwell draws a parallel with the Stalinist regime. The novella paints a bleak picture of humanity.
For several decades people have been fighting for a better life for animals on farms, animal laboratories, circuses, zoos, etc. For several centuries, efforts have been made worldwide to improve human wellfare. Although much has been achieved, there is still a long way to go to paradise on earth.
We ask artists to give their vision of the current and future conditions under which animals and people (could) live.
The Paper Biennial 2024 will show the many interpretations and meanings of Animal Farm that artists give to it in their work. We ask for personal views that resonate and are socially engaged. The sum total of visions on the theme of Animal Farm are testimonials to the need for a more just social system where the welfare of people and animals is paramount.