LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL TOUCHED

The Liverpool Biennial 2010 was all centered around the theme of "touched". The artist directer Lewis Briggs stated before the biennial that, "Touched will consist of new art that succeeds in affecting the viewer: art that moves us in mind, body and soul." (Lewis Biggs, www.biennial.com) The concept of touched was about exploring the way in which art can touch a person and the different levels of what it is meant to be touched. "Art that not only gained our attention but that moved us, motivated us, allowed us to find a way to change ourselves. Art without emotional force is without intellectual power.” (Lewis Biggs, www.biennial.com)
Some of the art work at the biennial thrived within the theme of touched and others struggled to provoke a reaction.I often felt that some of the work in the biennial didn't necessarily relate directly with what i would instantly associate with the theme and that some of the work was liberating the idea of what is to be "touched". For example bridging home by Do Hu Suh which on a purely visual bases and not knowing anything of concepts behind the work seem to be more about touching the city challenging our ideas about space and function then physically or emotionally touching the viewer.
On the other hand there was other work that did directly link to the touched theme work such as Nicholas Hiobo piece in the Blue Coat that not only physically touched but also emotionally
and was a more intense piece than say Do Hu Suh's Bridging home.
The biennial did not disappoint on the range of work there was a wide variety that included painting, sculpture, installation, photography, video, performance, site specific work the list goes on. This variety of work meant there was something for everyone and it was quite successful in that respect.
The Liverpool Biennial 2010 overall was an interesting festival of art that transformed the city into an exciting place, if not massive gallery for a artists and the general public to explore how artists have explored the theme of Touched within their work.