The Grand’ Rue Sculptors Association has launched the first edition of Ghetto Biennale, a collaborative structure that aims to promote dialogue, interaction and collaboration between contemporary art biennials in Haiti. The 2009 Biennale will comprise of a dozen artists from Jamaica, Colombia, Cuba, Australia, Italy, England, Mexico, United States, and Haiti that will chart what happens when artists from radically different backgrounds come together.
The Biennale opened on December 11 with a press conference, and will include workshops, seminars, portfolio reviews. The two worlds are linked symbiotically through artwork created by artists living in a downtown neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. The project hopes to increase cultural awareness through the different art form expressions. The Haitian artists taking part include Andre Eugene, Celeur Jean Herard, Destimare Pierre Isnel (aka Loko), Ronald Basil (aka Cheby), Mario Benjamin, Destin Domond, Moise Jerry Rosembert, artists from FOSAJ in Jacmel and APROSIFA in Carrefour Feuilles, Silva Joseph and Edgard Jean Louis.