Counterpublic has revealed the lineup of 47 artists and collectives for its upcoming third edition, set to take place from September 12 to December 12 in St. Louis, Missouri.
The exhibition, curated by a team including Jordan Carter, Raphael Fonseca, Stefanie Hessler, Nora N. Khan, and Wanda Nanibush, is titled Coyote Time, inspired by a commission from Alice Bucknell.
According to the curators, the selected artists engage with various media, including material practices and emerging technologies, tackling significant issues of our time, such as civic life, displacement, ecological crises, and the complex relationships between computation and human experience.
Among the notable participants are acclaimed artists such as Glenn Ligon, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Ryan Trecartin, Lizzie Fitch, Petrit Halilaj, and Rebecca Belmore. The exhibition will also honor the works of two late artists: Juanita McNeely, who passed away in 2023, and Benjamin Patterson, a founding member of Fluxus who died in 2016.
Many artists in the Counterpublic lineup are also featured in prominent biennials this year. For instance, Cooper Jacoby, Malcolm Peacock, Margaret Honda, and Ali Eyal are participating in the Whitney Biennial, while Guadalupe Rosales and Carolina Caycedo will showcase their works at the Venice Biennale. Additionally, Li Yi-Fan will be exhibiting at the Carnegie International, and Frieze New York will host an installation and performance by Kite in May as part of a collaboration with Counterpublic.
Ligon and Belmore's works will be strategically placed at opposite ends of the Mississippi Riverfront, which will display over a dozen installations. Another significant venue for the triennial is The Ville, a historically Black neighborhood in the northern part of the city, featuring contributions from artists like Cokes, Honda, Dail Chambers, and Timmy Simmonds, who explores the history of the local Sumner High School.
James McAnally, the executive and artistic director of Counterpublic, emphasized that the Coyote Time artist roster reflects a global perspective while being rooted in St. Louis, highlighting themes of migration, identity, and technology amid a landscape of renewed borders and divisions. The nearly fifty commissions aim to foster a speculative and socially engaged dialogue around these pressing issues.
The full list of artists will be available soon, showcasing a diverse array of talent and perspectives.