08. March 2021.

The Fourth International Student Biennial, Multimedia Cultural Center, Split 2021

Organization: Academy of arts and Culture in Osijek and Art Academy, Split A society of spectacle and relentless competition on social media, a struggle for likes and short-lived media glory, a culture of influencers and an insatiable hunger for global visibility are just some of the consequences of sacrificing one’s own individuality and succumbing to a vain desire for popularity. However, the gladiatorial struggle for algorithmic confirmation of social status does not take place only on Instagram or by hunt for the followers in the virtual space. The most dramatic consequence of the new digital ubiquity is the need to please everyone and to submit to a collective identity within which we feel loved and safe. Since art should be the ultimate space of freedom, it is clear that it is artistic creativity that is the biggest victim of globally established new value systems. In order to reaffirm the individuality, originality and courage that should be the basis of any artistic activity, the fourth edition of the International Student Biennale invites all students of art schools and academies to turn to themselves and independently reflect on the achievements of their own creativity. Have you ever wondered what your artistic activity would look like if it depended only on you? If there were no trends, styles, critics, gallerists… If there were only your audience unencumbered by social contracts and imperatives of the art system? If you could choose the best painting, sculpture, installation, video or performance you have ever made or that you only dared to imagine – what would they look like? Would you manage to counteract the authority of professors, curators requirements and lack of funding? More importantly, would you be able to defeat the critic within you who always tells you that this idea has not yet been sufficiently elaborated or that yet another work has not been meticulously executed? The unlimited space of freedom in art creates both doubt in one’s own abilities and opens up possibilities for total creativity. The Fourth International Student Biennale invites you to be your own critic and your own audience, to be ruthless towards yourself but also to choose for yourself the best you have ever done, in any medium and in any technique. If we asked you “what is your greatest hit” – how would you respond to that challenge? Would you dare to submit it? This year you have a unique opportunity to show your best, to fully reveal yourself without restrictions and scruples. This edition of the Biennale wants to be a kind of reality check in a time laden with opposites: from various physical limitations to the ecstasy of Internet communication. We invite all students of art academies and schools, as well as those who have graduated in the last two years, to choose their greatest hit and to compete for the Biennale Grand Prix. Applications should be sent to the e-mail address studentskobiennale@gmail.com, which like all other information about the International Student Biennale can be found on the official website https://studentbiennial.com/. Students need to send quality visual material (300 dpi resolution) together with a brief description of the work, and a student status certificate of any level. Expenses and organization of transportation are borne by the students themselves, but the organizer may help according to available resources. The exhibition opens in July 2021 in Split, with the awarding of three prizes. The awarded works will be presented at a separate exhibition in Osijek during 2022. The application deadline is May 30th, 2021.  

Goals