After its amazingly successful first run, the second Honolulu Biennial opens tonight at Ward Center. Biennials are all about activating a whole city with art, and now, just about every key city has one. In the 21st-century, Biennials proclaim a city is part of the creative economy, and visitors expect to be wowed by the art, and take part in panels, film showings, and pop up exhibitions, too. HPR’s Noe Tanigawa visited The Honolulu Biennial’s HUB at Ward Center where opening festivities begin tonight.
The Honolulu Biennial 2019 opening party is set for tonight, 5-10pm at The HUB on the ‘Ewa end of Ward Center. HB19 continues with events and workshops through May 8, 2019.
When he was asked to show at this year’s Honolulu Biennial, HB19, James Bamba, a traditional Chamorro weaver from Guam, was hesitant.
"I don’t think I can do something like that, no, it’s too big, too scarey. But I’m here, so…"
Bamba explained that after he heard more about HB19’s mission and theme, he was moved to jump in.
The theme of HB19 is, To Make Wrong/Right/Now, taken from a poem by Imaikalani Kalahele:
The source
of
my origins
lie beneath my feet,
the breath
in my chest
originated
in P?
the destiny
of my race
is
plunged into
my gut
and
infesting
my veins
with a new nationalism,
old spiritualism,
and a need to make wrong
right
now.
— Imaikalani Kalahele, “Manifesto” from Kalahele (Honolulu: Kalamak? Press)
Bamba: I think the theme, To Make Wrong/Right/ Now, is a very common story across many islands of the Pacific and across many peoples across the world. When I heard this, and I read the poem and identified with it, I thought, I have to do it. I can’t be scared by what a Biennial is.
Art historian and Curator at the Museum of New Zealand, Nina Tonga, is curator for HB19.
Tonga: We wanted to be guided by our artists. So we’re trying to create something that is open, that is allowing artists to bring different strands for us to weave together across our twelve different sites.
Forty seven invited artists from around the Pacific have works spread across Honolulu—at McCoy Pavillion, YWCA Laniakea, and several museums and of course, the HUB at Ward Center. Filmmaker Jeremy Leatinu’u, from Samoa, has shown in venues around the world...
Leatinu'u: Not like this. I think that’s what makes this one quite special for a lot of Pacific artists. We all have a connection to the Pacific Ocean. Within that connection, we are all able to share stories and find out we are connected more than we ever knew.
The Honolulu Biennial lasts for 2 months with films, panels, events and an open stage at the HUB.
Tonga: Making work, working with volunteers, workshops have started, so they’ve brought this wonderful generosity that we were hoping the Biennial would encourage ad hopefully build on.
Speaking of building, over 80 generous people, young and old, labored together to create a 50 foot double hulled canoe out of invasive species branches at Foster Garden—Leland Miyano’s idea. See you there.
