18th Biennale of Sydney: all our relations

Titled all our relations, The 18th Biennale of Sydney will present works by more than 100 artists hailing from Australia, New Zealand, Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, South Africa and the Middle East. Nearly half the artists in the 18th Biennale of Sydney will present works created specifically for this exhibition, including many substantial collaborative installations.

Co-Artistic Director Gerald McMaster said: “Catherine [de Zegher, Co-Artistic Director] and I have brought together more than 100 artists with a sense that there would be commonalities amongst great differences. This Biennale has its roots in conversation and storytelling. The many projects presented can be compared to a set of storylines, to which artists, curators and audiences relate and translate in a continuous process of meaning-making.

“Audiences will experience involvement, responsiveness and liveliness when encountering the works and in many cases, will be active participants in the artists’ projects,” said McMaster. Four of Sydney’s leading cultural institutions and heritage sites are major venues for the exhibition: the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the newly redeveloped Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), Pier 2/3 and Cockatoo Island. For the first time, Carriageworks will also be a presenting partner.

Throughout the twelve-week period, there will be an extensive public program of free artist talks, performances, forums, guided tours and family events.

Program highlights:

AGNSW: In Finite Blue Planet

- Nipan Oranniwesna [Thailand]: City of Ghost (2007)

- Gao Rong [Mongolia/China]

- Postcommodity [USA]: Do You Remember When? (2009)

MCA: Possible Composition

- Park Young-Sook [Korea]: Moon Jar (2012)

- Yeesookyung [Korea]: Translated Vase-the moon (2012)

- Nyapanyapa Yunupingu [Australia]: Light Painting (2011)

- Pinaree Sanpitak [Thailand]: Anything Can Break (2011)

Pier 2/3: as above, as below

- Shuvinai Ashoona and John Noestheden [Canada]: Earth and Sky (2008)

- Honore d’O [Belgium]: Air and Inner (2012)

- Tiffany Singh [NZ]: Knock On The Sky Listen To The Sound (2012)

Cockatoo Island: Stories, Senses and Spheres

- Fujiko Nakaya [Japan]

- Daan Roosegaarde [Netherlands]: Dune (2007-2011)

- Jonathan Jones [Australia]

- Monika Grzymala [Germany] and Euraba Artists and Papermakers [Australia]: The River [2012]

- Ed Pien [Canada] and Tanya Tagaq [Canada]: Source (2012)

Carriageworks will present two Australian premieres by Belgian dance ensemble Rosas, titled En Atendant and Cesena, under the direction of renowned choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Belgian artist Ann Veronica Janssens will also collaborate on Cesena, in addition to presenting a site-specific work at Carriageworks for the duration of the exhibition.