Bicennial In Film

There are distinct images that come to mind when the term biennial is used — sheer number of artworks displayed, intellectual discourse, avant-garde, grand openings and a crowd of visitors that temporarily takes over sites and public spaces that host these biennials. These iconic events which recur at every predetermined number of years render a feeling of happening — a redefinition of the contemporary art scene. But do these images conjured correspond to the reality of biennial events? What differentiates a biennial from other exhibitions that are equally impactful in the history of exhibitions such as “When Attitudes Become Form, Bern 1969”, “Cities on the Move, Vienna 1977” and “The Bulldozer Exhibition, Moscow, 1974”? How are the artworks …show more content…
“Before Sunrise” is about young love. The story follows a couple, Jesse, a young American man and Céline, a young French woman meeting on a train and getting off in Vienna, spending the night talking and walking around the city. The film ended with Céline leaving and the couple not exchanging any contact information but agreeing to meet at the same place in six months. Viewers are left with a cliffhanger, not knowing the fate of the couple’s relationship. “Before Sunset” picks up nine years after the couple’s first encounter. Following the same timeline as the story, the film was also released nine years after the first series. This time the couple is in their late 20s. Jesse is married with a son and has become a famous author while Céline is an advocate for the environment. They met in Paris, at Jesse’s book reading. At the end of the movie, it is only implied that the couple got together. The final installment, “Before Midnight”, is also set nine years after “Before Sunset” and released nine years after. Jesse and Céline are now a couple and parents to a set of twins. The movie’s perspective shifts from being in love to marriage, commitment and