Brussels Biennial 1 is a collection of contributions presented at the first biennial for contemporary art held in Brussels from October 19, 2008 through January 4, 2009. With an eye to the vital role of both old and developing institutions, and in an attempt to give the familiar concept of a thematically curated biennial a new direction, this Biennial strives to present contemporary art in a citywide international contemporary art exhibition that is developed and curated by a network of visual art institutions.
"Show Me, Don't Tell Me" curated by Nicolaus Schafhausen and Florian Waldvogel from Witte de With, Rotterdam, takes place in the former postal sorting office at Brussels Midi station.
The central aspect of this exhibition is an anti-hierarchical presentation of artistic, theoretical, documentary, and historical positions that are linked by aesthetic as well as content, and that enhances and expands the existing invisible network of connections.