2010 Whitney Biennial

Found this year's show to be a pleasant experience but subdued and even a bit conservative. The past couple have had an overstimulating quality that leaves me sort of tired at the end. There was much less sense of "THIS IS YOUNG ART!" than I remember there being in the past. A fair amount of painting and drawing and the sculpture and installation was less ambitious. Two sets of photographs seemed more journalistic or essayistic (the one of the burned Afghani women and the one of the iraq war vet with the reconstructed face). My wife pointed out that there was almost no art about technology or the internet or the environment or the apocalypse.

There were at least three installations that were supposed to interact with periodic performances but there were no performances going on when we were there - seems like best bet is to find out when they're happening and see the show at that time.

favorite thing in the show: Ari Marcopoulos's video of two kids making noise music in a bedroom

http://whitney.org/image_columns/0015/1064/1.arimarcopoulos_600.jpg

Was surprised to see that Charles Ray, famous for creepy mannequins, had a room full of these:

http://whitney.org/image_columns/0015/4077/9.charlesray_600.jpg

Liked the fold paintings of Tauba Auerbach (although I saw a show of hers at Deitch with work that I liked better):

http://whitney.org/image_columns/0015/4163/45.-auerbach-copy_600.jpg

Liked Robert William's R.Crumb-ish illustrations

http://whitney.org/image_columns/0015/4193/58.-williams_astrophysicallymodifiedrealestate_600.jpg

Also liked R.H. Quaytman a lot - can't find an image of what was in the show, but sort of a retro/op-art thing going on.

So the Whitney is building a downtown space?

Is that a replacement for or an addition to the old one?