On Sunday September 17, 2023 Bonavista Biennale closed after a month-long event featuring 23 artist projects, plus a full slate of workshops, talks, performances, and other programs, all free and open to all.
This year’s Biennale, titled with the curatorial theme ‘Host’, invited visitors to explore meeting points and relationships between people, perspectives, life forms, and locations. The Biennale’s strong representation of artists from Newfoundland and Labrador grounded the exhibition while creating thoughtful dialogue with artists from across Canada, Indigenous nations, and beyond. Host was curated by Biennale Artistic Director Rose Bouthillier and Co-Curator Ryan Rice, with support from a Curatorial Advisory composed of representatives from throughout the province: Bethany MacKenzie, Jenelle Duval, Bushra Junaid and Ossie Michelin.
This year’s Biennale welcomed artists from across Canada and visitors from around the globe. Early attendance figures show over 15,000 visitors attended this year’s Biennale, tripling numbers from 2021, many of whom spent multiple days on the Peninsula touring the 165 km coastal loop that Biennale sites were placed along. The Biennale has a significant economic impact throughout the Peninsula through both visitor spending and job creation.
Click here to read the September 18, 2023 press release.