Mayor Eric Garcetti announces artists for L.A.’s first public art biennial to be held this summer

More than a dozen artists — including L.A.-based Kori Newkirk, Edgar Arceneaux, Gala Porras-Kim and Michael Parker — have been selected to participate in Los Angeles’ first public art biennial, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced at a news conference early Tuesday afternoon.

The “Current:LA Water” exhibition will consist of temporary outdoor installations that will go up throughout the city this summer, all focused on the theme of water.

The project was initiated by the Public Art Division at the Department of Cultural Affairs and is supported by a $1-million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and other financial support.

Felicia Filer, the director of the Department of Cultural Affairs’ public art division, said in a statement that the line-up is “an exciting group of internationally recognized and emerging talents that are as culturally diverse as the inhabitants of Los Angeles.”

This includes video artist Kerry Tribe, conceptual artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, installation artist Teresa Margolles and social practice pioneer Mel Chin. Also on the list are the sound duo Lucky Dragons (Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara), sculptor Candice Lin, sound and performance artist Chris Kallmyer and two artist teams — Josh Callaghan and Daveed Kapoor, and Refik Anadol and Peggy Weil.

Biennial artists were selected by a curatorial committee that includes Ruth Estévez of REDCAT; Rita Gonzalez from LACMA; Karen Moss, an art historian and curator who also teaches at the Otis College of Art and Design; and Irene Tsatsos, the chief curator at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena.

“Current:LA Water” will be on view throughout Los Angeles in July and August.

More information, including installation locations and artist biographies, will be made available on the biennial’s website, currentla.org.

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