Biennale of Sydney 2020

Biennale on view until 26 September 2020

Inaugural Benefit Auction
Bidding begins: Wednesday, September 23, 2020 9 am AEST until Sunday, September 27, 2020 5pm AEST*

The Biennale of Sydney today announced, for the first time ever, art lovers from around the world will have the opportunity to bid online for selected artworks featured in the exhibition.

From Wednesday, September 23, 2020, the Biennale’s global community of passionate supporters will come together to directly assist the artists featured in the 22nd edition, titled NIRIN, and the Biennale of Sydney through an online auction.

Globally, the arts community has been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the artistic direction of acclaimed Indigenous Australian artist, Brook Andrew, this year’s Biennale, which is artist- and First Nations-led, showcases more than 700 artworks by 101 artists and collectives from around the world. The exhibition opened to unprecedented acclaim in March but, due to the global pandemic, closed to the public after only 10 days.

In June, after 10 weeks closed to the public, the NSW Government announced that museums and galleries were permitted to reopen. The free contemporary art exhibition presented across greater Sydney was previously scheduled to conclude on 8 June 2020, but the Biennale of Sydney rallied partner arts organisations to extend the exhibition period for NIRIN, incurring additional costs of AUD 400,000.

Artists who are participating in the auction will generously donate 30% of all proceeds to the Biennale of Sydney—a not-for-profit organisation that has showcased the work of more than 1,900 artists from more than 100 countries for nearly 50 years—while 70% of proceeds will go directly to the artist.

This inaugural benefit auction will help ensure that the Biennale continues to commission new projects by some of the world’s most innovative artists and keep access to the best contemporary art free for all to enjoy.

Artists participating in the auction are Tony Albert, Colectivo Ayllu, Eric Bridgeman, Randy Lee Cutler, Jose Dávila, Karla Dickens, Léuli Eshrāghi, Andre Eugene, Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre, Emily Karaka, Barbara McGrady, Kulimoe'anga Stone Maka, Noŋgirrŋa Marawili, John Miller, Jota Mombaça, Manuel Ocampo, Rosana Paulino, Laure Prouvost, Anders Sunna, Tennant Creek Brio and Ahmed Umar.

Karla Dickens, who has chosen to donate all the proceeds from the sale of her work to the Biennale of Sydney as a gesture of solidarity with other artists, said: "NIRIN is an experience of human connection. Given the neglect of artists worldwide through such intense times, I see the opportunity to donate artwork to the Biennale auction as my duty; a duty of love to fellow artists, their work and their survival. Together we stand."

Barbara Moore, Chief Executive Officer, Biennale of Sydney, said: "For many artists and organisations, the past six months have been rough, and a time of deep uncertainty. The Biennale of Sydney is grateful to our tremendous community who, by purchasing artworks through this auction, can keep a powerful piece of NIRIN for themselves once the exhibition is closed, and feel good about directly supporting participating artists and the Biennale."

For business owners, under the small business tax allowance, the Australian Tax Office considers artworks as an investment and depreciating assets when bought by and for businesses. This makes purchasing art for your workplace under the Instant Asset Write-off scheme 100% tax deductible. Following the Budget Stimulus Package announced by the Prime Minister, there’s no limit to the number of artworks costing less than USD 150,000 to claim a tax deduction at the end of the financial year.

Bids for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney: NIRIN Benefit Auction will open via Galabid on Wednesday, September 22, 2020 at 9am and close on Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 5pm.

The 22nd Biennale of Sydney is open with free admission at Carriageworks until September 26, Art Gallery of New South Wales and Artspace until September 27 and Campbelltown Arts Centre until October 4, 2020. The exhibition is now closed at Cockatoo Island, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Powerhouse Museum.

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22nd Biennale of Sydney 2020
"NIRIN"
(14.03.2020 - 08.06.2020)

at Cockatoo Island

At a briefing today in Little Bay, NSW, on the land of the Bidjigal and Gadigal Clans, the Biennale of Sydney announced the full list of artists, creatives and collectives who will be participating in the 22nd Biennale of Sydney (2020), titled NIRIN.

Under the artistic direction of Brook Andrew, the exhibition will include artworks across six sites: Art Gallery of NSW, Artspace, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Cockatoo Island, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and the National Art School.

The 22nd Biennale of Sydney is artist- and First Nations-led, presenting an expansive exhibition of contemporary art that connects local communities and global networks.

“The urgent states of our contemporary lives are laden with unresolved past anxieties and hidden layers of the supernatural,” said Brook Andrew. “NIRIN is about to expose this, demonstrating that artists and creatives have the power to resolve, heal, dismember and imagine futures of transformation for re-setting the world. Sovereignty is at the centre of these actions, and it shines a light on environments in shadow. I hope that NIRIN (edge) gathers life forces of integrity to push through often impenetrable noise.”

For the first time, artists from Nepal, Georgia, Afghanistan, Sudan and Ecuador will participate in the Biennale of Sydney.

A number of the artists, creatives and collectives announced today were in attendance at the briefing: Joël Andrianomearisoa, BE., Karla Dickens, FUNPARK Coalition, Lucas Ihlein and Kim Williams, Kylie Kwong, Parramatta Female Factory, Andrew Rewald, Justin Shoulder (Club Ate), STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors), members of Tennant Creek Brio and Luke Willis Thompson.

The briefing also included performances by MzRizk, Mahdia Rahman from Bankstown Poetry Slam, Nardean from 4ESydney HipHop Festival and Brazilian performance artist Jota Mombaça.

The Biennale also announced an extensive program called NIRIN WIR spanning from the Blue Mountains to La Perouse.

NIRIN, meaning edge, and WIR, meaning sky, is a phrase from Brook Andrew’s mother’s Nation, the Wiradjuri people of western New South Wales. The program focuses on Sydney as an expansive, global city comprised of vibrant, complex villages, and is a major partnership with the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, and a series of activations and creative partnerships with Blacktown Native Institution, Parramatta Female Factory, Bankstown Poetry Slam, 4ESydney HipHop Festival, City of Sydney Libraries, Randwick CIty Council, tertiary institutions around the country, grassroots organisations and more.

Grounded in connecting communities, the Biennale is also launching a learning program called OUR PATH, uniting an international network of artists and thinkers with Australian children and young people. The program offers a global context to local concerns, celebrating the valuable wisdom that exists in all communities.

“Each visit to NIRIN will be a new and different experience,” said Barbara Moore, Chief Executive Officer, Biennale of Sydney. “In the year of the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s landing, art is an essential catalyst for change. Through art, conversations and collaborative interventions, the Biennale will bring together people from across the city, state, country and the world in a safe place to discuss issues that matter.”

Participants in the 22nd Biennale of Sydney (2020) are:
Adrift Lab Canada/Australia/United Kingdom / Tony Albert Australia / Charlotte Allingham Australia / Maria Thereza Alves Brazil/Germany/Italy / Lhola Amira South Africa / Joël Andrianomearisoa Madagascar/France / ArTree Nepal Nepal / Tarek Atoui Lebanon/France / Sammy Baloji Democratic Republic of Congo/Belgium / Denilson Baniwa Brazil / Bankstown Poetry Slam Australia / BE. Australia / Namila Benson Papua New Guinea / Sissel M Bergh Norway / Huma Bhabha Pakistan/USA / Blacktown Native Institution Dharug Nation (Australia) / Karim Bleus Haiti / Anna Boghiguian Egypt/Canada / Mohamed Bourouissa Algeria/France / Breaking Bread South Africa / Eric Bridgeman and Haus Yuriyal Papua New Guinea/Australia / Tania Bruguera Cuba / Vajiko Chachkhiani Georgia/Germany / Club Ate: Justin Shoulder and Bhenji Ra Australia / Colectivo Ayllu Argentina/Chile/Ecuador/Spain/Venezuela / Victoria Santa Cruz (1922-2014) Peru / Randy Lee Cutler Canada / Jose Dávila Mexico / Demian DinéYazhi´ and R.I.S.E.: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment USA / Karla Dickens Australia / Léuli Eshrãghi Australia / André Eugène Haiti / FAFSWAG New Zealand / Jes Fan Canada/USA/China / First Dog on the Moon Australia / Brian Fuata Australia / FUNPARK Coalition Australia / Nicholas Galanin USA / Stuart Geddes and Trent Walter Australia / Fátima Rodrigo Gonzales Peru / Josep Grau-Garriga (1929-2011) Spain/France / Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian Iran/United Arab Emirates / Lawrence Abu Hamdan Jordan/Lebanon / Aziz Hazara Afghanistan / Lily Hibberd Australia/France / Lucas Ihlein and Kim Williams Australia / Iltja Ntjarra / Namatjira School of Art Australia / Arthur Jafa USA / Hannah Catherine Jones United Kingdom / Aslaug Magdalena Juliussen Norway / Emily Karaka New Zealand / Bronwyn Katz South Africa / Kylie Kwong Australia / Tarek Lakhrissi France / Barbara McGrady Australia / Ibrahim Mahama Ghana / Stone Kulimoe'anga Maka Tonga/New Zealand / Noŋgirrŋa Marawili Darrpirra/Yirrkala (Australia) / Teresa Margolles Mexico/Spain / Misheck Masamvu Zimbabwe / Katarina Matiasek Austria / Mayunkiki Japan / John Miller and Elisapeta Heta New Zealand / Jota Mombaça Brazil / Mostaff Muchawaya Zimbabwe / Prof Sir Zanele Muholi South Africa / The Mulka Project Yirrkala (Australia) / MzRizk Australia / Elicura Chihuailaf Nahuelpán Chile / Paulo Nazareth Brazil / S.J Norman Australia/Germany / Musa N Nxumalo South Africa / Manuel Ocampo Philippines / Erkan Özgen Turkey / Parramatta Female Factory Australia / Taqralik Partridge Norway/Canada / Rosana Paulino Brazil / Laure Prouvost France/Belgium/United Kingdom / Public Redress System Australia / Reading Oceania Australia / Lisa Reihana New Zealand / Andrew Rewald Australia/Germany / Shaheed / Witness / Kashmir (India/Kashmir) / STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors) Australia / Adrian Stimson Canada/Siksika Nation (Canada) / Anders Sunna Sweden / Suohpanterror Sápmi (Finland/Sweden/Norway) / Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Kainai First Nation (Canada)/Sápmi (Norway) / Latai Taumoepeau Australia / Tennant Creek Brio Australia / Warwick Thornton Australia / Kalisolaite ‘Uhila Tonga/New Zealand / Gina Athena Ulysse Haiti/USA / Ahmed Umar Sudan/Norway / Unbound Collective Australia / Kunmanara Williams (1952-2019) Pitjantjatjara (Australia) / Luke Willis Thompson New Zealand/Fiji/United Kingdom / Pedro Wonaeamirri Melville Island/Andranangruwu, Paluwiyanga (Australia). Tribe: Milipurrulla, White Cockatoo. Dance: Jilarti, Brolga.

Note: Countries where artists were born and are currently based are provided as a reflection of the many places Biennale participants come from. These places are not always wholly reflective of peoples’ place-based identifications.

Exhibition venues for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney (2020) are:
Art Gallery of New South Wales Sydney NSW
Artspace Woolloomooloo NSW
Campbelltown Arts Centre Campbelltown NSW
Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour NSW
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia The Rocks NSW
National Art School Darlinghurst NSW

The 22nd Biennale of Sydney (2020): NIRIN will be open free to the public from March 14–June 8, 2020.