JUST six days remain for those that wish to experience the 2008 Bacardi Limited Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Art at the Bermuda National Gallery (BNG).

The biennial event (an event that is held every two years) opened on April 25 and runs until September fourth. This year there was over 250 entries from over 68 artists which the international jury had to cut down to 86 works from 41 artists.

Laura Gorham, the director of BNG, and Sophie Cressal, the curator of BNG, explained the event and the ongoing opportunities available to Bermudian artists.

Ms Gorham said: "The Biennial has a good parallel history with the founding of the gallery. When we opened in 1992 we wanted in our programming to introduce local living contemporary artists. As it was a new organization we had to figure out a fair way to introduce that element into the gallery.

"We introduced the concept of a biennial which brings in overseas jurors so that they remain unbiased when looking at the art. The first Biennial Exhibition we did was in 1994 and we've done it every two years since, making this the eighth biennial.

"Since we've started the process has morphed and improved and we've learned more about what works for the artist and us. The artists submit five pieces and we have our team here put all the submissions together and do a presentation to our two overseas jurors."

Ms Gorham added: "This year we had a judge named Mark Krisco who is an artist, instructor and curator of the Art Institute of Chicago and our other Juror was Franklin Sirmans who is the curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Menil Collection in Houston Texas. Each has their own style and likes and it gives a real balance to the jury, who have to agree on what works make it in and what works do not. There is no preconceived idea what the juror will consider good. It is subjective."

Ms Gorham explained how Bermudians could exhibit their works at BNG and said: "If people want to exhibit during the exhibition the prerequisite is that they are either Bermudian who can live anywhere in the world, or people who have a residency of at least six months within the two years since the previous Biennial Exhibition. The intention of the biennial is to support, to showcase, to encourage and develop our local Bermuda artist scene and encourage them to work at an international standard and the best of their abilities."

Ms Cressal added: "The kind of work that you see in the Biennial Exhibition are the artists who have something to say which is great because in the future it creates a contemporary dialogue and it archives what Bermuda is doing on the art scene at that time.

"If I had any words of advice to Bermudian artists out there I would say the best thing to do is create and keep creating all the time. If you choose to use the biennial as something that will help you on your journey that's a great thing because that's what we are here for. The Bermuda National Gallery puts on the biennial to encourage Bermuda artists to really push themselves. Not that they need to, but it just allows that platform."

Ms Gorham and Ms Cressal both note that it is upsetting seeing the closure of many of the commercial art galleries that once gave opportunity to Bermuda artists. They said: "It is important to note commercial galleries on the island are becoming virtually nonexistent which is a terrible shame and it makes our job even more important to represent the artists on the island today. The other organizations on the island do shows every three to six weeks and then they have a changeover. Their role is very important because if the artists are not showing and have no experience in creating all year then the biennial would not be what it is.

"We would like to think that the biennial is the pinnacle art show and that they worked toward this as being where they then can be showcased in the national gallery."

Ms Cressal also notes the challenge involved in displaying the various art pieces and said: "It was a challenge to hang all the pieces because there is all this very different interesting work and to hang it side by side so each work of art stands on its own as a piece is a challenge."

Speaking about BNG's use of the word contemporary she added: "When we say Bermuda's cotemporary art we are talking about today contemporary as opposed to contemporary art which can often be mistaken as cutting edge. Our use of the word cotemporary is strictly as a timeline and not as a style of art. Therefore all artwork in Bermuda in the last two years counts as contemporary. We are not looking for cutting edge contemporary art, we are looking for quality."

Ms Gorham hopes that people will come and see the show before it closes and noted: "People come in and everyone likes something different. Artists such as Antoine Hunt, Sharon Wilson, Dana Cooper, Will Collieson, Kevin Morris, Vaughn and Amy Evans, Edwin Smith, Peter Lapsley, John Gardner and Charles Zuill are all exhibiting in the show. There is something at this show for everyone. You can have your own preferences. That is what you as the audience bring to your experience for the show. If you like things that are edgy and out there we have installations for that and if you like watercolours and scenes that are comfortable and familiar we have that. We have sculpture and photography and people should come and support the works of art Bermudians have made."