After a short but intense thunderstorm, the launch party of the ‘09 SZHK Biennale on was held on a ferry boat at Sant’Elena Port close to Giardini, the main exhibition site of the Venice Biennale. The curators and committee of Shenzhen celebrated the launch of the Biennale with guests including architect Rem Koolhaas, director of NAi, Ole Bouman, artist Madelon Vriesendorp, curator of Lyon Biennale Hou Hanru and director of Storefront in New York, Joseph Grima.