After the trauma of the last edition, the 20th Biennale of Sydney re-patterns resistance with a softer but powerful tune, and asks what future do we want?
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Visual Arts
Still of Shahrya Nashat’s video Parade (2014) at Museum of Contemporary Art Australia; courtesy the artist
An aviary of Common Myna birds at Sydney’s old Mortuary Station is an important metaphor for this year’s Biennale of Sydney, curated by Haywood Gallery’s Stephanie Rosenthal (UK).
In Australia the introduced bird is considered a pest and urban scavenger but in other countries, such as India, the Myna is considered a holy bird and divine guide.
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
