Bombay Beach Biennale Explained

The Bombay Beach Biennale is an annual art festival held in Bombay Beach, California on the Salton Sea in the lowest community in the United States. It was co-founded by Tao Ruspoli, Stefan Ashkenazy, and Lily Johnson White in 2016.^[1] The festival features both temporary pieces and permanent installations such as the Hermitage Museum (designed by Greg Haberny), Bombay Beach Opera House (designed by James Ostrer), and a drive-in theater.^[2]

Themes

In 2016, the theme was "The Art of Decay".

In 2017, the theme was "The Way the Future Used to Be".^[3]

In 2018, the theme was "God’s Silence".

In 2019, the topic was “Post-Modernism”.^[4]

In 2020, activities were postponed due to COVID 19.^[5]

In 2021, the Biennale’s theme was “More Minimalism”, and the event was expanded into an entire season rather than a single weekend, with artists encouraged to live within the community full time for part of the year.^[6]

In 2022, the theme of the Biennale Season was “Questioning Hierarchy”.

In 2023, the theme was “Chaos Theory”.

In 2024, the theme was "White Gold", owing to abundant lithium reserves in the region.^[7]

Notes and References

1. News: Swann . Jennifer . The Art Biennale Held on the Shores of a Toxic Lake . Vice.
2. News: Banasky . Carmiel . A Post-Apocalyptic Town on the Salton Sea Has Become Home to SoCal's Most Radical Art Fest . LA Weekly.
3. Web site: McPhate . Mike . California Today: A Look at the Anti-Burning Man . The New York Times.
4. Web site: Green . Penelope . How Much Hip Can the Desert Absorb? . The New York Times . April 12, 2019 . This year’s topic: postmodernism..
5. Web site: Out of an abundance of caution, all activities are postponed due to COVID 19. bombaybeachbiennale.org.
6. Web site: 2020. 2021-11-06. Bombay Beach Biennale. en-US.
7. https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/style/2024/03/21/bombay-beach-biennale-fashion-show-brenda-ann-kenneally-salton-sea-residents-coachella-valley-events/73017029007/