Since its inauguration in 1973, the Biennale of Sydney has proliferated upon the interests of an increasingly decentralised art world. The Biennale has contributed to transforming Sydney into a hub for culture and its various manifestations. The continuous emergence of large scale international exhibitions in recent times has evoked a critical commentary which attempts to abash these events as subjects of ‘Biennale Syndrome’, yet in the fervent fiscal climate of Sydney, where art-talk is often centred around the achievements of commercial galleries and auction houses, the Biennale is the antithesis of a ‘trip to the mall’. The variety of artistic practices that culminate the work exhibited in the Biennale of Sydney do not necessarily resemble those which hang on commercial gallery walls, nor those, piled together, ‘salon style’ at auction previews. A number artistic events of an alternative value, that cannot be commodified, have been amongst the most impressive in this Biennale. More

Before this post a little disclaimer – I am not a big fan of video art. I am not sure whether this is a repressed memory from childhood or whether something happened just after I watched one (like The Ring) but I have never been an avid fan.

So when preparing for a visit to Cockatoo Island and noticing the large number of video artworks on offer I was a little apprehensive.  However with a beautiful (but cold!) ferry ride I was feeling a little more positive about viewing these works in such a new and exciting location. My expectations were completely surpassed as the video works were nearly all placed in contexts that really added to them and developed the concepts rather than merely providing a dark room.

There were a few especially outstanding works which really engaged with and were part of the construction of the Island. Mark Boulos’s work, All That is Solid Melts into Air (2008), was one of the Island’s more emotionally engaging and experiential works. More

Day 10: Artspace
Call me old fashioned, but I have to say, after the decrepit industrial chic of Cockatoo Island, it was nice to get back to the white cube. Admittedly, Artspace is not all that cubular, but it’s all relative and compared to the shabby splendour of the buildings on the island, it’s downright clean and crisp.
It might not be hip, or progressive, but I don’t mind a clean, well lit, neutral space for viewing art. (And yes, I know, nothing is really neutral.) However, the white cube model does have certain advantages. At least it doesn’t actively compete with the art for attention, not that this is necessarily a bad thing. Some artists are keen to take on the challenge; wrangle with difficult spaces and come out on top with something wonderfully synergistic. But others seem to just lose the tussle. So is white right? Maybe the answer is sometimes; one size never really does fit all. More

This years Biennale promised to focus on ‘interactive works’ - kinetic sculptures that buzz, spin and whir. With this in mind, my latest trip through the Art Gallery of NSW felt like an episode of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. With buttons and switches leading off many works, the temptation and anticipation was strong… The internal dialogue began… ‘What will happen if I press it?’ Am I ‘allowed to touch’ in a venue such as the esteemed Art Gallery? Will I be promptly escorted out after setting off the sprinkler system or fire alarm by Security? Do I dare give into temptation and reach out my arm? Are you a wo(man) or a mouse? More

The canons of classicism have, in a way, allowed our art appreciation receptors to become accustomed to a rather conventional and relatively safe viewing experience that revolves around the classical ideals of beauty, realism, tradition and whimsy. Even the most horrific and tragic scenes were often depicted in a way that could be considered to be beautiful in one way or another. While one cannot deny the excellence and importance of classical master artists such as Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Boticelli and Rembrandt, there is a tendency to regard works by these artists as the epitome of artistic practise and, consequently, to compare all works of art to works by these artists of the so called ‘golden age’. If a viewer approaches and interacts with a contemporary work of conceptual art in the same way they would approach a work by, say, Da Vinci, then it is highly unlikely that the viewers interaction with, and experience of, the contemporary work of art, will be as enriching as it could have been.

The conceptual nature of much of the contemporary art being produced has meant that the purpose of contemporary art is rarely to provide instant satisfaction and gratification, or to be totally decipherable at first glance. From my experience, the purpose of most contemporary art is to instigate an interaction that involves a process of evaluation, translation and engagement, challenging the viewer in one way or another and causing the viewer to step outside their comfort zone. More