About the Triennial

The Triennial invites artists to work with the cultural history and environment of the town and produce commissioned works for public spaces.

The first was held in 2008, curated by Andrea Schlieker, followed by 2011 and by 2014 more than 135,000 people visited to see the interesting and unusual works by local, national and international artists. Around 20 major artworks are commissioned for each event, with around eight to 10 staying in the town. They will join the 27 Folkestone Artworks already dotted around the town from internationally acclaimed artists including Tracey Emin and Yoko Ono.

This year Lewis Biggs returns for a second time as curator and it has the theme of double edge. He said: “The title double edge has two meanings – the first is one of anxiety, the edge of the world, the edge of the future and the unknown.

“The secondary meaning is one of balance, released through the artist’s imagination when one tips over the edge and looks back on the known with a renewed perspective. Great art is a mirror to the world.”

It also aims to expand on realities experienced as part of everyday life in Folkestone and around the world, including migration, border control, wealth inequality, environment and climate change.

The artists involved in this year’s Triennial are: Rigo 23; Sol Calero; Michael CraigMartin; Antony Gormley; Alex Hartley; Lubaina Himid; Emily Peasgood; Diane Dever and The Decorators; Amalia Pica; Marc Schmitz and Dolgor Ser-od; David Shrigley; Bob and Roberta Smith; Sinta Tantra; Studio Ben Allen; Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas; Hoycheong Wong; Gary Woodley; Bill Woodrow; Richard Woods and Jonathan Wright.

Curator Lewis Biggs