Medina Triennial – Inaugural Edition

Dear Partners,

Welcome to the first in this new series of updates that track the evolution and development of the projects your support makes possible. Selecting each year's awards is the first part of the journey. What follows - the milestones, conversations, unexpected turns, successes and setbacks of each project - is a window into the realisation of the projects.

On May 13th we spoke with Karin Laansoo and Kari Conte, Co-Artistic Directors, as the Medina Triennial enters its final production phase, ahead of its opening weekend on 5–7 June 2026. Both Karin and Kari valued the time we took to speak with them, saying it provided them a moment of reflection in a busy process.

Synopsis:
The Medina Triennial is a contemporary art triennial in Medina, a village of approximately 6,000 people in western New York State. The inaugural edition involves 39 artists, runs from June to September 2026, and is sited across the village. The Triennial is a new institution that has built the required infrastructure to deliver it while also programming the presentation. It is one of a few contemporary art biennials or triennials in the United States outside a major metropolitan centre — alongside Prospect New Orleans and SITE Santa Fe — and the first of its scale to be staged in a U.S. community of this size.

Outset's Transformative Award was granted last October, before the organisation held a track record to present to funders.

"…We really needed a boost and trust from somebody like Outset,
it gave great confidence to other funders." — Kari Conte

A recording of the conversation is available here.

Progress to date:
The catalogue has gone to print and a local billboard campaign has launched. Of the 39 artists, more than 20 will install on site through May, the rest remotely. Sites across the village - the hospital, Rotary Park, the theatre, the canal side - are being activated. School tours and public programmes have been scheduled.

Key themes from the conversation:

• Operational infrastructure has been built from the ground up. Most staff are local, aged 25 to 80. Engagement guides are also drawn from Buffalo and Rochester. The knowledge is now in place - contractors, utilities, regulations - ready for the next edition.
• A focus on environmental sustainability has seen approximately 80% of the work produced in the region, with only three international shipments. Reclaimed materials were used throughout.
• Local welders, plasterer, fabricators donated time and resources. They often worked at reduced rates, inspired by the project and by the prospect of what it could mean for the area in the long term.  
• Most of the larger projects are new commissions: artists invited to show existing work chose, after visiting Medina, to create site-specific pieces (Lina Lapelita's durational performance, Selva Aparicio's anthracite-coal sculpture, and Assad Raza's water installation). Two or three sculptures may be retained permanently.
• Press coverage has been secured in Artforum, ArtNews and Art in America, and a partnership established with the Toronto Biennial.
• Grants were the primary funding source for this edition, with Buffalo and Rochester foundations providing further support. Private and corporate funding required a track record and formal reporting, both now in place.

Next steps on the project roadmap:

• The opening weekend runs from 5 to 7 June. Please let us know if you will be able to attend and require further information. (Press and professional preview on 5 June. Public opening on 6 June with a ribbon cutting expected from the Governor of New York. A public talk on 7 June.)
• A summer programme will be announced in June. Irish artist Deirdre Omani joins in August with a work on food security and climate justice.
• A closing event is scheduled for 7 September.

A board retreat in July will address lessons from the inaugural edition and planning for the second, anticipated for 2029. The website will be updated with object labels and images in July. We will speak with the team again after the opening.

We remain grateful for your generosity, which enables Outset’s support of trailblazing projects like the Medina Triennial. Should any questions arise, please reach out at partners@outset.org.uk.

Warmest wishes,
The Outset team