More than 330 artworks by 89 participants from 30 countries and 400 events will be presented over 94 days as part of the upcoming Biennale of Sydney 2022, which opens to the public from 12 March.
The largest contemporary art event of its kind in Australia, the 23rd Biennale of Sydney, titled rīvus, meaning ‘stream’ in Latin, will feature new work and commissions responding to water ecology as participants share stories about their experiences and relationships with waterways.
Developed and realised by a Curatorium comprised of artistic director and Colombian curator José Roca and co-curators Paschal Daantos Berry, Anna Davis, Hannah Donnelly and Talia Linz, the 2022 edition will be open free to the public from 12 March to 13 June at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Barangaroo including The Cutaway, Circular Quay, Information + Cultural Exchange, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, National Art School in partnership with Artspace, The Rocks and Pier 2/3 at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct.
“Rīvus is articulated around a series of conceptual wetlands situated along waterways of the Gadigal, Barramatagal and Cabrogal peoples. These imagined ecosystems are populated by artworks, experiments and research, responding to our connections, and disconnections with water. Rivers have been the ways of communication and the givers of life for entire communities and a growing number of jurisdictions around the world are granting rivers legal personhood rights,” the Curatorium said in a statement.
“As we see waterways having a voice in the courtroom, we wanted to extend this further into the public sphere with our exhibition. Many of the Biennale of Sydney participants have worked with waterways, local and international, to share their stories and raise these important conversations.”
Audiences will experience large-scale immersive installations, site-specific projects and living works by international participants including Kiki Smith, Marguerite Humeau, Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe, John Gerrard, Jumana Emil Abboud and Ackroyd & Harvey alongside Australian participants such as Badger Bates, Clare Milledge, Julie Gough and D Harding.
Projects investigating the ecologies sustained by waterways worldwide include Marjetica Potrč’s collaboration with Wiradjuri Elder Uncle Ray Woods, which tells the story of two rivers – the Soča in Slovenia and the Galari (Lachlan River); Brazilian artist Caio Reisewitz’s mural-sized collage, which references the aquifer under the Amazon jungle; D Harding’s exploration of ancestral waterways with the local community, which inspired a new carving work; the Australian premiere of The Great Animal Orchestra, a major installation created by American soundscape ecologist Bernie Krause and United Visual Artists, which will immerse audiences in the sounds of vulnerable habitats in Africa, North America, the Pacific Ocean and the Amazon River; and French artist Marguerite Humeau’s new sculptural commission envisioning a world in which mass extinction has accelerated to a point of no return.
Barbara Moore, chief executive officer, Biennale of Sydney said, “This year’s Biennale is going to feel great to experience. The city will be vibrant with artworks and events that invite everyone to come together and connect with each other, celebrating the participants and their stories and honouring the diversity of thoughts and ideas that empower us all. We are thrilled to unveil these incredible works and encourage visitors to flow between the venues, to see and feel different perspectives on our connections with waterways and each other.”
NSW minister for the arts, Ben Franklin said, “The Biennale of Sydney is always a highlight in the city’s cultural calendar and the NSW Government is delighted to support such a timely exhibition. We’re excited to welcome visitors to Sydney to experience the 23rd edition, which features an impressive line-up of international and local participants from over 30 countries around the world, putting NSW artistic excellence front and centre on the world stage.”
The 23rd Biennale of Sydney will be open to the public from Saturday, 12 March to Monday, 13 June 2022. For further information on the Biennale of Sydney, project highlights, programs and participants, please visit biennaleofsydney.art.
Featured images:
English duo Ackroyd & Harvey have created a new series of large-scale photographic prints on grass featuring living portraits of Australian environmental activist, Lille Madden and her grandfather, Gadigal Elder, Uncle Charles (Chicka) Madden.
Sydney-based multidisciplinary studio Cave Urban presents Flow, one of the largest bamboo structures ever produced in Australia. The site-specific, immersive installation is inspired by the flow of a river, and spans 600 square metres.
English artist Joey Holder will transform the chapel space, taking audiences on an aquatic journey to an undiscovered deep sea brine lake and the strange, shapeshifting creatures that live there.
