Since its founding in 1932, the Biennial has evolved into Whitney Museum of American Art’s signature exhibition as well as the most important survey of the state of contemporary art in the United States today.

For the first time in 2008, Whitney collaborated with Park Avenue Armory and Art Production Fund (APF) to provide the Biennial with a second venue. The Armory was the setting for a series of performances, temporary installations, events, and other public programs by Biennial artists from March 6 to March 23, creating an opportunity to present works that could not be accommodated within the Whitney’s walls, but remain true to the fluid, interactive way in which these works were conceived.

The 2008 Biennial was curated by Henriette Huldisch, Assistant Curator at the Whitney; Shamim M. Momin, Associate Curator at the Whitney and Branch Director and Curator of the Whitney Museum at Altria, and overseen by Donna De Salvo, the Whitney’s Chief Curator and Associate Director for Programs. Three advisors worked with the curatorial team throughout the process: Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem; Bill Horrigan, Director of the Media Arts department at the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University; and Linda Norden, independent curator and writer.