Whitney Biennial 2019

This highly anticipated book showcases the work and voices of an exciting selection of artists shaping the conversation about contemporary art in the United States today

Since its introduction in 1932, the Whitney Biennial—the Museum’s signature exhibition—has charted new developments in contemporary art. The 2019 Biennial is curated by members of the museum’s curatorial staff Rujeko Hockley and Jane Panetta, well-known in the contemporary art world for their track records of working with emerging artists and producing historically minded exhibitions. The book features process images and source material from each of the Biennial participants, in addition to a commissioned text on each artist and essays by the curators on the themes of the exhibition.

Adam D. Weinberg, the Whitney’s Alice Pratt Brown Director, notes, “The Biennial is a tradition that goes back to the institution’s historical roots while providing us with a barometer of the new. Pushing beyond what is comfortable, presenting diverse approaches to artmaking, and understanding that art can never be severed from the world at large have become the hallmarks of the Biennial.” Coming in the midst of dramatic shifts in the cultural, social, and political landscapes, this book will serve as an important resource on present-day trends in contemporary art in the United States.