BRUSSELS.- The first Brussels Biennial presents a harmonious concurrence of eight exhibitions by contemporary art institutions, merging contributions of sixty international artists.

The Biennial marks the fiftieth birthday of the 1958 World Fair closing and the arrival of modernity into the fabric of the city. A Brussels’ modernist surge encouraged by building the North-South railway connection.

As the Biennial is closely related to the city’s initial modernization project, it is no coincidence that the exhibition venues are located along this beating pulse of Brussels. Even more so, the former Post Sorting Centre at the station Brussels-South and the Pre Metro Station Anneessens serve as the hubs of a citywide exhibition featuring various complexities of modernity.

Nor did the Biennial pick out Brussels cheer by chance: located in the multilingual and multicultural Capital of Europe, Brussels Biennial marks significant steps forward in integrating Brussels into the international contemporary art scene. Its exhibition model is characterized by an intuitive insight into the art scene of the highly urbanized region between the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany.

Participating institutions include B.P.S.22, espace de création contemporaine de la Province de Hainaut, Charleroi; BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht; Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven; Drik, Images, Communication & Information Technology, Dahka; Extra City, Centrum voor Hedendaagse Kunst, Antwerpen; L’appartement 22, Espace indépendant pour la création contemporaine, Rabat; MuHKA, Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen and Witte de With, Centrum voor Hedendaagse Kunst, Rotterdam.