SANTA FE.- Process, experimentation, and collaboration are the hallmarks of Lucky Number Seven, SITE Santa Fe’s Seventh International Biennial, which opens on Sunday, June 22, 2008. Curator Lance M. Fung states, “The energy that takes place between people engaged in creative activity has been a driving force in my curatorial work, and is a central element of Lucky Number Seven.” The entire project proposes an alternative to the current format of biennials, which has evolved in recent years into international mega-exhibitions studded with big-name, well-traveled artists.

In fact, that very same energy and creative activity that has transpired here at SITE through this entire process has altered the overall plan for the show. Laura Heon, SITE Phillips Director, said, “The preparations were so intense and the energy so contagious that we were all inspired to take advantage of this incredible opportunity and to maximize the experience by extending the exhibition through January 4, 2009.” Some off-site locations may close before January 4, 2009. For more information, please contact SITE Santa Fe, or visit www.sitesantafe.org.

All of the works for Lucky Number Seven are site-inspired commissions that will not exist as works of art, per se, beyond the exhibition, with the majority of the materials being recycled back into the community. This element emphasizes temporality and process, and provides the artists with the opportunity to push their practices into new directions.

The advantage of such a framework is that it allows for experimentation and play, and is not dependent on the forces of the market. This instead proposes a field of possibilities, grounded in the unique environment and history of Santa Fe.

Lucky Number Seven aims to create an intimate, rigorous, yet playful exhibition that connects audiences to a spirit of discovery and learning. Furthermore, the artists featured in this Biennial are all emerging practitioners, ranging in age from their twenties through their sixties.

Remarking on the specific locale of Santa Fe, Fung states, “It is exciting and rewarding to be working in Santa Fe, and getting to know the city and its local communities. A crucial aspect of Lucky Number Seven is its engagement with local people, and after meeting with a broad range of the city’s cultural institutions, we are pleased that a number of them will be exhibition partners with SITE. This diversity of venues and locations will open up the exhibition to new audiences, providing access to contemporary art to many who may not have experienced it before.”

Board President Katherine Gentry notes, “This never-before-seen convergence of so many global and local organizations, artists, student interns, volunteers, patrons, and friends in a common cause to realize this Biennial is a true testament to Lance Fung’s enthusiasm and vision, and SITE’s expanding role in this community and in the art world at large. It makes all of us on the Board very proud.”

There are 25 artists making 18 site-specific installations, all newly commissioned by SITE Santa Fe. These artists were nominated by 18 sponsoring institutions from 16 different countries around the globe.

1. Martí Anson b. 1967 in Mataró, Spain; Lives and works in Barcelona

2. Erick Beltrán b. 1974 in Mexico City; Lives and works in Barcelona and Mexico City

3. Luchezar Boyadjiev b. 1957 in Sofia, Bulgaria; Lives and works in Sofia

4. Michal Budny b. 1976 in Leszno, Poland; Lives and works in Warsaw

5. Ricarda Denzer b. 1967 in Kirn, Germany; Lives and works in Vienna

6. Hiroshi Fuji b. 1960 in Kagoshima, Japan; Lives and works in Fukuoka

7. Fabien Giraud b. 1980 in France; Lives and works in Paris

8. Piero Golia b. 1974 in Naples, Italy; Lives and works in Los Angeles

9. Soun Hong b. 1959 in Seoul, Korea; Lives and works in Seoul

10. Scott Lyall b. 1964 in Toronto, Ontario; Lives and works in Toronto

11. Nick Mangan b. 1979 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Lives and works in Berlin

12. Eliza Naranjo Morse b. 1980 in Española, New Mexico; Lives and works in Santa Fe

13. Nora Naranjo Morse b. 1953 in Española, New Mexico; Lives and works in Española

14. Ahmet Öğüt b. 1981 in Diyarbakir, Turkey; Lives and works in Amsterdam

15. Shi Qing b. 1969 in Inner Mongolia, China; Lives and works in Beijing

16. Mandla Reuter b. 1975 in Nqutu, South Africa; Lives and works in Berlin

17. Nadine Robinson b. 1968 in London, England; Lives and works in New York City

18. Zbigniew Rogalski b. 1974 in Dąbrowa Białostocka; Lives and works in Warsaw

19. Wael Shawky b. 1971 in Alexandria, Egypt; Lives and works in Alexandria

20. Raphaël Siboni b. 1981 in France; Lives and works in Paris

21. Rose B. Simpson b. 1983 in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Lives and works at Santa Clara Pueblo

22. Studio Azzurro Located in Milan, Italy