Brent Biennial 2025: Bones, stones and calling the four elements

Metroland Cultures is pleased to announce the curatorial theme, artists and programme dates for the third edition of the Brent Biennial.

The third edition of the Brent Biennial, Bones, stones and calling the four elements curated by Annie Jael Kwan will present workshops, talks, performance and exhibition by 27 artists and community organisers.

Bones, stones and calling the four elements

Unfolding from June to October across four rituals WATER, EARTH, FIRE, AIR, the Biennial seeks to invoke a communal spirit of gathering and imagining. 

Rituals will take place at a public reservoir, a park, an old medical facility and a university campus, located in the north and south of the borough in Harrow, Wembley and Kilburn.

The title of the Biennial recognises that bones and stones have always been connected, one changing into another over millennia, leaving traces and stories behind. Bones form the structure of our bodies, and stones make up the structures we build and inhabit, both bear a sacred wisdom. Shared universally across Greek, Indic and Sinic philosophies, the four elements of water, earth, fire and air were harnessed as the foundational materials of alchemy – for making and transformation. Water dissolves, flows and absolves; the earth holds and archives. Fire ignites and mutates; and air manifests new life and ideas. As metaphors, materials and methods, the four elements hold creative potential for new imagination and change.  This framing invites us to reflect on how as communities, we gather and create – and engage with the question: what kind of world would we like to re-make? How we respond to this question is central to Brent Biennial 2025.

Biennial artists include:

A—-Z (Anne Duffau), Yarli Allison, Ocean Baulcombe-Toppin, David Blandy, JJ Chan & Friends, Youngsook Choi (featuring Ayse Roza and Darius Hulme), Forms of Circulation, Arsalan Isa, Jesse Jones, Adeline Kueh, Nikki Lam,  Lynn Lu, Becky Lyon, Sue Man in collaboration with Capri Jiang, Nick Murray, Yuki Nakamura, performingborders, Jia Qi Quek in collaboration with Aaron Lim, Alexa Seligman, Akira Takaishi and Francesca Telling.

Venues : 

Wembley Sailing Club (WATER), ACAVA Studios, Barham Park (EARTH), Metroland Cultures (FIRE) University of Westminster, Harrow Campus (AIR). 

Detailed information about each Ritual will be available at the start of June. Sign up to our newsletter to receive news directly or follow us on instagram.

The visual identity for the 2025 Brent Biennial is developed by Rose Nordin

Supporters and Funders : 

Bones, stones and calling the four elements is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Additionally the Brent Biennial 2025 programme is made possible with the generous support of: British Council Connect Biennials, Canada Council for the Arts, Creative Australia, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Lu Foundation, National Arts Council Singapore, Something Human, The Great Sasakawa Foundation, Toshiaki Ogasawara Memorial Foundation, Wing Yip Foundation, Arts Council Tokyo

Read the full Press Release here

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