Converge 45 Reveals the Artist List for Its 2023 Biennial, Titled “Social Forms: Art as Global Citizenship”

Converge 45, the Portland-based, nonprofit arts organization, has revealed the artist list for the upcoming edition of its biennial program, which is titled Social Forms: Art as Global Citizenship. Opening Aug. 24, 2023, the citywide exhibition will showcase the creations of more than 50 artists and artist collectives.

Organized by writer and curator Christian Viveros-Fauné, Social Forms focuses on contemporary and historical artworks alike that captured the zeitgeist. The goal of the exhibition is to not only celebrate great art, but to promote increased citizenship.

“There are several ideas behind the show,” Viveros-Fauné stated in a press release. “Firstly, we want to reflect the many ways artists are working to understand the present moment. Second, we believe it’s important to place these artists and their works in conversation with examples of art-as-a-social-form from the 1960s onward. Lastly, Converge 45 and its partners want to locate Portland front and center as an imperfect but progressive American city where the era’s principal themes can be uniquely addressed through forward-looking cultural production.”

Many of the artists featured in Converge 45′s biennial are exhibiting significant new creations. Marie Watt, an acclaimed artist and member of the Seneca Nation, will display a new public artwork for the city of Portland. Meanwhile, Richard Mosse will launch the U.S. debut of his new film/photographic project, titled Broken Spectre, which was filmed in remote parts of the Brazilian Amazon.

Other featured artists include Malcolm Peacock, the late painter and printmaker Hung Liu, and Jesse Murry. Plus, the program will present the work of Frieze’s Impact Prize winner, Narsiso Martinez.

“Christian Viveros-Fauné has developed a timely and thoughtful program with Social Forms, weaving together the work of artists locally and across the globe, across issues and decades,” stated Converge 45 executive director Margaret Burke. “This collection of exhibitions shows art truly functioning as activism, prompting shifts in our individual perspectives and creating a record of the global collective experience.”

A full list of the artists featured in the exhibition is available online.