Whitney Biennial

The Whitney Biennial featured a huge quantity of art this year, by many up-and-coming artists.  I found it very interesting, in that the majority of pieces I encountered were uninspiring and lacked a clear concept and/or the craftsmanship to convince me that they were actually complete.  That's not to say that there weren't effective pieces, but they were few and far between.  One piece I liked featured multiple glass rectangular shapes that were shipped via FedEx, as was evident by many which were still in their packaging.  The process of getting them to the Whitney was evidently a bumpy one, as they were cracked and split all over, allowing the viewer to imagine the various impacts on their trip.  The most interesting part for me was the project next door, away from the main gallery.  Set up there was a Neighborhood Public Radio station, featuring artists who endeavored to broadcast truly free radio.  Their idea stemmed from the changes that National Public Radio has undergone, which are now far from the ideals of the public, according to them.  Their mission was to broadcast anything and everything from the surrounding neighborhood, inviting people from off the street and setting up microphones at a station in the Whitney's bottom floor.  We had an opportunity to get on the air; each of us expressing our thoughts on the Whitney's Biennial in only a few choice words each.  This is a program that I hope to see more of.