Art Ride 2007

English follows ...
Une fois tous les dix ans et dans l’espace de quelques semaines, les cérémonies d’ouverture de quatre événements artistiques majeurs se croisent : la Biennale de Venise, Art 38 Basel de Bâle, la Documenta 12 de Kassel et les Skulpturenprojekte de Münster. En réponse à l’arrivée de cette occurrence décennale j’ai décidé de réaliser, avec Petra Chevrier, une intervention qui traverserait le monde de l’art et du quotidien. Entre le 8 et le 19 juin 2007, nous avons donc parcouru trois pays et plus de 1 600 km en vélo afin de visiter ces quatre grands événements de l’été.
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Once every ten years, four major international art events take place in three different yet geographically connected, countries. All four events host opening ceremonies within two weeks of each other: La Biennale di Venezia 52nd International Art Exhibition (Venice, Italy); Art 38 Basel (Basel, Switzerland); documenta 12 (Kassel, Germany); skulptur projekte münster 07 (Münster, Germany). In response to this unique once-a-decade occurrence, I decided to realize a project that would intersect both the art world and the everyday. In collaboration with Petra Chevrier, we traveled to each of the four events by bicycle. From 8 to 19 June 2007 we covered roughly 1,600 km entirely fueled by determination and human-power. While seeing the art was a component of the tour, the central proposition was to explore the effect of physically ricocheting off of the art events and the surrounding landscape. How such an endeavour alters body, perception and interpretation of the events.

Prologue: Quick tour of 52nd Biennale di Venezia
Stage 1: Venice-Mantova
Stage 2: Mantova to Palazzolo Sul’Oglio
Stage 3: Palazzolo’Oglio to Chiavenna
Stage 4: Chiavenna to Chur
Stage 5: Chur to Winterthur
Stage 6: Winterthur to Art 38 Basel
Stage 7: Basel to Baden Baden
Stage 8: Baden Baden to Heidelberg
Stage 9: Heidelberg to Alsfeld
Stage 10: Alsfeld to Kassel
Rest day in Kassel : tour Documenta 12
Stage 11: Kassel to Münster
Stage 12: tour of Skulptur Projekte Münster 07

I would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Art Ride 2007 sponsors: Archive Inc. Gallery and Art Library; Art and Art History Program (University of Toronto and Sheridan College), CAMERA, Cinecycle, Giant Step, Goethe-Institut (Toronto), Istituto Italiano di Cultura (Toronto), Tatar Gallery, Urbane Cyclist and Women’s Art Resource Centre.