Go East, Young Biennial
For those international art-lovers who follow the ever shifting sun of biennial exhibitions, September 2006 is a time to look towards the east. Three biennial exhibitions open within a five-day span during the beginning of the month. Really, it’s enough to drive a person nuts.

The Singapore Biennale launches it all, Sept. 4-Nov. 12, 2006, with the island city-state’s inaugural international biennale of contemporary art, under the general direction of Mori Art Museum deputy director Fumio Nanjo. SB2006, as it is being called, features more than 95 artists and collectives from 38 countries and regions in venues spread across the city. Participants include Jane Alexander (South Africa), Jenny Holzer (U.S.), Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle (Spain), Mariko Mori (Japan), Carsten Nicolai (Germany), Mark Wallinger (U.K.) and a host of less familiar names.

The Shanghai Biennial, with the theme of "Hyper Design," takes place at the Shanghai Art Museum, Sept. 5-Nov. 5, 2006, with additional exhibitions at satellite venues. The curatorial team is led by Shanghai Art Museum deputy director Zhang Qing, and has selected more than 90 artists from 23 countries for the show. Participants range from Atelier Van Lieshout (Netherlands) and Matthew Barney (U.S.) to Francesco Vezzoli (Italy) and Chen Wenling (China). 

Closing out the week is the 6th Gwangju Biennale 2006, Sept. 8-Nov. 11, 2006, a multi-part exhibition in the South Korean city of some 1,500,000 souls. Dubbed "Fever Variations," the theme may prove to be peculiarly apt, to judge by the semidelirious listing of sub-sections -- "The First Chapter," "The Last Chapter," "The Third Sector" and more. Participating artists include Dove Bradsaw (U.S.), David Hammons (U.S.), Michael Joo (Korea/U.S.), Dinh Q. Le (Vietnam/U.S.), Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba (Vietnam/Japan), Raqib Shaw (India/U.K.), Xu Bing (China), Miwa Yanagi (Japan) and Zhang Dali (China).

While you’re in Korea, you may want to wait a bit and visit the Busan Biennale 2006, Sept. 15-Nov. 25, 2006, the three-part fest that features a contemporary art exhibition at the Busan Museum of Modern Art, a sculpture project at the APEC Naru Park and a "Sea Art Festival" at Haeundae Beach.

And, across the Korea Strait in Japan, the Geisai #10 art fair opens for one day, Sept. 17, featuring over 1,000 individual artists displaying their wares at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center. The event is sponsored by Kaikai Kiki, the artist-management agency directed by Takashi Murakami.

New This September in U.S. Museums
First up in the museum exhibition sweepstakes is "Mexico as Muse: Tina Modotti and Edward Weston," a show of 80 works by the two modernists who shared "a passionate partnership" in Mexico during 1923-26, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Sept. 2, 2006-Jan. 2, 2007.

The month has its share of photography shows, as the International Center of Photography kicks off "Ecotopia," the second installment of its ICP Triennial, featuring works by 39 artists and photographers, Sept. 14, 2006-Jan. 7, 2007. Other photogs on the bill include Louise Lawler in "Twice Untitled and Other Pictures" at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 16-Dec. 31, 2006, and Wolfgang Tillmans at the Hammer Museum in L.A., Sept. 17, 2006-Jan. 7, 2007.

Fans of classic modernism can look forward to "Cézanne to Picasso: Abroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde," a show of ca. 100 works by artists championed by the pioneering Parisian art dealer, on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sept. 14, 2006-Jan. 7, 2007.

Latin American art is on tap at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with "Treasures / Tesoros / Tesouros: The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820," Sept. 20-Dec. 31, 2006.

And contemporary paintings, sculptures, installations and video by 17 Asian-American artists go on view in "One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now" at the Asia Society and Museum, Sept. 8-Dec. 10, 2006. Artists in the show include Xavier Cha, Patti Chang, Glenn Kaino, Laurel Nakadate, Kaz Oshiro, Jean Shin and Mika Tajima.

Cutting Edge at New York Galleries
September is a pretty good slot for contemporary artists, who get a chance to be first out of the gate with new work when everyone is paying attention (whether we’re ready or not)! The list of shows scheduled includes several modernist classics: Andy Warhol "Mao" paintings at L&M Arts, Sept. 7-Oct. 7, 2006; Giorgio Morandi at Paul Thiebaud Gallery, Sept. 12-Oct. 28; and Arshile Gorky, "Early Drawings," at CDS Gallery, Sept. 15-Nov. 11.

Other stops in uptown Manhattan include Joe Coleman, "33 Paintings and a Selection from the Odditorium" at the Tilton Gallery, Sept. 7-Oct. 4; Mike Kelley, "Vaseline Muses, 1989," at Skarstedt Fine Art, Sept. 14-Oct. 14; "The Atavistic Method" by Hal Hirshorn at JG Contemporary, Sept. 8-Oct. 7; and recent paintings by Gu Gan at Goedhuis Contemporary, Sept. 22-Oct. 12.

But first out of the gate is "Telling Tales: Contemporary Women Cartoonists," a show organized by Dan Nadel and featuring works by almost 20 artists, including Roz Chast, Jessica Ciocci and Aline Kominsky-Crumb, at Adam Baumgold Gallery, Sept. 6-Oct. 14.

Coming up in the Midtown area are Alexi Worth, "Couples," at DC Moore Gallery, Sept. 7-Oct. 7; Annette Messager and Yang Fudong at Marian Goodman Gallery, Sept. 7-Oct. 14; a double show of works by Romare Bearden and Betye Saar at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, Sept. 8-Oct. 28; and new Realist paintings by Christian Vincent at Jason McCoy, Sept. 14-Oct. 28.

Over in Chelsea, highlights include Adam McEwen’s "8:00 for 8:30" -- including some of his notorious chewing-gum monochromes seen in the 2006 Whitney Biennial -- at Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, Sept. 7-Oct. 14; Mia Westerlund Roosen at Betty Cunningham Gallery, Sept. 7-Oct. 14; and Robert Yasuda at Elizabeth Harris Gallery, Sept. 7-Oct. 7.

There’s still more to see in Chelsea, including the first show of work by Cologne-based neo-Dadaist Georg Herold to appear at Friedrich Petzel Gallery, Sept. 8-Oct. 21; new work by Jessica Stockholder at Mitchell-Innes & Nash Chelsea, Sept. 9-Oct. 14; and a show of new abstract paintings by Albert Oehlen at Luhring Augustine, Sept. 15-Oct. 21, and works by outsider art fave Keegan McHargue at Metro Pictures, Sept. 21-Oct. 28.

Also on tap are recent paintings by Megan Bisbee-Durlam and Erika Wastrom at Lohin Geuld Gallery, Sept. 7-Oct. 14,; and Korean Mulberry Paper paintings and sculptures by Kwang-Young Chun at Kim Foster Gallery, Sept. 7-Oct. 21.

Shows to catch in SoHo include "The Science of Sleep," an exhibition of sculpture and "pathological creepy little gifts" by Michel Gondry, the artist and film director (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), at Deitch Projects, Sept. 6-30; the soulful paintings of people and animals by Cristina Vergano at Woodward Gallery, Sept. 14-Nov. 4; and Cory Arcangel (Beige) at the new Soho space of Team gallery, Sept. 29-Nov. 4.

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