About the Biennial
c3 is proud to be one of 25 partner venues around the state hosting exhibitions as part of the Portland2016 Biennial, curated by Michelle Grabner and presented by Disjecta Contemporary
Art Center.

Internationally renowned artist-curator Michelle Grabner selected thirty-four artists and artist-teams who will exhibit at wide-ranging venues from Ashland and Clatskanie to Madras and La Grande between July 9 and September 18. Mirroring the geographic span of the artists——thirteen are from outside Portland——Disjecta’s Biennial will engage sites across Oregon, making the project accessible to larger and more diverse audiences, while also encouraging visitors to travel between and explore host communities.

At the heart of Grabner’s vision is her investigation into regionalism, particularly how artists working in specific locations often reflect their geography and culture; and more broadly, how these local dynamics impact the global art world in a time of decentralization. During Grabner’s research, which included visits to 107 artists’ studios, she and Disjecta looked at potential exhibition sites, ranging from university galleries to museums, vacant storefronts, early 20th-century vaudeville theaters, garages, and libraries. “New and alternative exhibition contexts always present a challenge for artists. It is important to me that the artists I selected to represent the Portland2016 Biennial are offered an opportunity to grow and expand their creative process, to engage new audiences and exhibition sites,” Grabner says.

Grabner’s choice of artists——a mix of mid-career to emerging, working in a variety of media that encompass installation, film/video, sound, painting, craft, and social-based practice——is supported by her carefully-considered venue pairings. “We’ve always imagined the Biennial as a statewide event—a way to encourage cultural exchange,” says Disjecta Director Bryan Suereth. “Michelle’s interest in geographic proclivities made this an opportune year to expand the footprint of the exhibition. It serves a dual purpose; while celebrating the great art being made throughout the state, it also elevates the unique landscapes and communities of Oregon.”

​Disjecta’s 3,000-square-foot main gallery will host Salon: Portland2016, The Studio Visits, an expansive exhibition of 106 artists that were selected out of over 400 applicants for a studio visit from Grabner (including the 34 artists featured in Portland2016). Visitors will gain an overview of Oregon’s current artistic production, observe thematic connections (or the lack thereof) among the larger body of works, and get a sense of Grabner’s own process. She describes the exhibition as “a curatorial index that celebrates the broad spectrum of art-making in Oregon and illuminates the research and selection process.”
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About the Artists
Carla Bengtson’s site-responsive projects, situated in wild, domestic, and liminal spaces, create possible/impossible situations in which to attempt interspecies communication. Bengtson has received numerous awards, including an Oregon Arts Commission Integrative Sciences Award and an NEA Individual Grant for Artists, and has held residencies at Djerassi, the Ucross Foundation, the Tiputini Biodiversity Research Station in the Amazon, and a Signal Fire Outpost Residency at the Arizon/Mexico border. Selected exhibitions include Gridspace, New York, POP Gallery, Queensland, Australia; JayJay Gallery, Sacramento, California; Art Fair Miami; RKL Gallery, New York; the Painting Center, New York; the Portland Museum of Art, Portland; and the Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana. Bengtson has lectured on environmental thought at International Environmental Philosophy and Biodiversity Conservation Conferences in the US, Canada, and South America.

Bruce Burris is an artist who has worked in the field of arts and disability culture for over 35 years. He has served as founder/director/owner of a number of agencies/programs noted for creating innovative supports which enable people to assume roles of significance in their communities.

Colin Kippen was born in San Francisco and grew up in rural Vermont. He holds an MFA in Craft and a Post-Bacc Certificate in Metals from Oregon College of Art and Craft and a BA from Carleton College. He currently lives and works in Portland, OR.


PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Art + Activism Panel with Prequel Artist Incubator
Tuesday, August 9, 7–9pm at c3:initiative

SCOLD Intervention
Part of Carla Bengtson's project Species Calling Out Liars and Deniers (SCOLD)
Saturday, September 10, 3–5pm at c3:initiative