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The 17th Biennale of Sydney will take place in venues and sites around Sydney Harbour, including: Cockatoo Island, Pier 2/3, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Artspace and the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Grand Court).
Cockatoo Island
In 2010 the Biennale will again take over Cockatoo Island – the largest island in Sydney Harbour and Australia’s most unusual urban park. A former prison and shipyard, Cockatoo retains many remnants of its past. Its prison buildings have been nominated for World Heritage listing, along with other convict sites around Australia.
Pier 2/3
Pier 2/3 was built in the early 1900s and is located in Sydney’s historic waterfront precinct Walsh Bay. It is also Sydney’s last wharf structure in its original state. Since the Biennale of Sydney first used the Pier in 1986, it has become a major venue for the exhibition. Its well-earned reputation as an engaging non-museum space and exciting venue for contemporary culture will be underscored by the 17th Biennale of Sydney exhibition.
Museum of Contemporary Art
The Museum of Contemporary Art is Australia’s only museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting the work of contemporary artists. Located on Sydney’s iconic Circular Quay in an architecturally striking building, the MCA presents a dynamic program of exhibitions and events that explores the latest international and Australian contemporary art.
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House was the inaugural venue for the first Biennale of Sydney in 1973 when we participated as part of the opening celebrations. A World Heritage Listed architectural icon, the Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres. More than 1600 performances a year feature everything from ballet, opera, drama and symphonic music, through to outstanding contemporary music, comedy, cabaret, dance, theatre, physical theatre, exhibitions and late-night events.
Royal Botanic Gardens
The Palm Grove is home to one of the world’s finest collections of palms. The architecturally stunning Sydney Tropical Centre, a giant glass pyramid beside a series of arc-shaped glasshouses, houses some of the rarest and weirdest plants on the planet. The rich Aboriginal heritage of the Gardens is on display in the Cadi Jam Ora: First Encounters garden. During the Biennale, the Camellia Garden will be in dazzling winter flower.
Artspace
As Australia’s leading international residency-based contemporary art centre, Artspace is a hub for the contemporary art community in Sydney, fostering dialogue between local artists, writers and curators and their national and overseas counterparts, and an evolving entity that connects with artists, audiences and ideas in an expanding range of sites regionally and globally.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
One of Australia’s leading art museums, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is located within beautiful parklands overlooking Sydney Harbour, only 15 minutes walk from the CBD. Over one million visitors a year enjoy its permanent collection of Australian, Aboriginal, European, Asian and contemporary art. With an award-winning restaurant, extensive bookstore and a program of over 30 temporary exhibitions a year with many free events, the Gallery is a great destination to explore. Visit on Wednesday evenings until 9 pm for Art After Hours – an entertaining program of celebrity talks, tours, film and music.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales participates as a supporting venue in 2010 due to gallery renovations and will exhibit Biennale artists in the Grand Court.
