Since 2006, Liverpool Biennial has included ‘collateral' events organised and supported by embassies, international agencies or galleries, and promoted by Liverpool Biennial as a part of the programme. In 2010, for the first time, Liverpool Biennial offered a platform for exhibitions organised overseas and promoted under the title City States.
City States starts from the premise that artists are inspired by the ‘freedom of the city’. People continue to be drawn to cities, with over 70% of the world’s population projected to live in cities by 2050. This migration gives rise to a double allegiance: to the city we live and work in, and the place of our nationality, birth, culture or ancestry. Cities demand enormous resources and are the greatest economic drivers. For these reasons the state of cities increasingly determines the future of states.

The exhibitions in City States 2012 have been invited to respond to the theme of hospitality. To date, exhibitions have been confirmed from the following cities: Belo Horizonte, Copenhagen, Gdańsk, Hong Kong, Incheon, Lisbon, Makhachkala, Reykjavik, Oslo, Taipei, Vilnius and Wellington.


Participating artists and organisations include:


Copenhagen: Approaching Journey
Yvette Brackman

Ismar Cirkinagic

Jens Haaning
Jane Jin Kaisen

Curated by Helene Lundbye Petersen and Tijana Miskovic

Generously supported by The British Council (DK), The Danish Cultural Institute Edinburgh, The Danish Arts Council


Gdańsk: Unwanted Visitors
Yael Bartana

Oskar Hansen

Alicja Karska & Aleksandra Went
Janek Simon
Kama Sokolnicka
Robert Kusmirowski

Curated by Agnieszka Kulazińska

Organisation: Centre for Contemporary Art Laznia in Gdańsk
Partner: City Culture Institute


Hong Kong: All Are Guests
Leung Mee-ping
Chow Chun-fai
CoLAB x SLOW

Curated by the Hong Kong Museum of Art
Jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council


Incheon: Terra Galaxia, Aerotropolis, Home and Away (Incheon Airport)
Sen Chung

Kyungah Ham

Seoung Won Won
Wil Bolton
Suk Kuhn Oh
Suknam Yun

Curated by Stephanie Seungmin Kim (Director, ISKAI Contemporary Art)

Coordinator: Leeji Hong (Curator, ISKAI Contemporary Art)

Organisation: Incheon Art Platform in collaboration with ISKAI Contemporary Art UK Ltd, London


Lisbon: Contentores
Miguel Palma

Curated by Luisa Santos

Organisation: P 28 Association for Creative and Artistic Development


Makhachkala: Masculinity and Competitive Spatiality
Taus Makhacheva

Curated by Irina Stark and Kelly Klifa
Organisation: Stark Projects


Reykjavik, Nuuk, Tórshavn: North Atlantic Pavilion
Hanni Bjartalíð

Sigurdur Gudjonson
Jessie Kleemann

Curated by Ingi Thor & Andy Brydon

Organisation: Curated Place/NICE (Nordic Intercultural Creative Events)
Supported by the Norden Culture and Art Programme and the Nordic Culture Fund


Oslo: Palestinian Embassy
Goksoyr & Martens

Curated by Kristine Jærn Pilgaard
Produced by Public Art Norway - KORO / Kristine Jærn Pilgaard
Organisation : Public Art Norway - KORO
Supported by Fritt Ord, OCA Office of Contemporary Art Norway and Vederlagsfondet


Vilnius: Black Pillow
Valdas Ozarinskas & Audrius Buc as

Curated by Kestutis Kuizinas

Organisation: Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius

Supported by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania; Edmundas Momkus and BTC Group.


St. Petersburg: Interior
Masha Godovannaya

Curators/Organisation: Calvert22 Foundation


Taipei: Metro-Wonderland: Taiwanese Artists and Urban Morphology
CHEN Chia-Jen
CHIU Chen-Hung
HSU Chia-Wei

Curated by LEE Chia-Ling
Organisation: freeform Center
Generously supported by Ministry of Culture, Taiwan and Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris and JUT FOUNDATION FOR ARTS & ARCHITECTURE


Wellington:Watermarking
David Bennewith
William Hsu
Marnie Slater

Curated by Melanie Oliver and Laura Preston
Generously supported by Creative New Zealand and the Chartwell Trust


Birmingham: Birmingham The Magic City
BAZ
Helen Brown
Home of Metal
Napalm Death
plan b
David Rowan
Bedwyr Williams

Curator: We Are Eastside
Organisation/s: Capsule, Eastside Projects, Fierce Festival, Flatpack Festival, Grand Union, Ikon Gallery
Sponsors: Birmingham City University