Ros Lemoh’s sculpture Catch the Sun can be seen from the shores of Lennox Gardens. Photo: Kevin Miller.
Well past the halfway mark of the Canberra Art Biennial and the program is still delivering surprises, including some fresh additions and more details on the final activations.
Creative Producer Tegan Garnett says the staggered release of programming ensures plenty of newness for repeat visitors and a nod to the festival’s future.
“The Biennial is evolving, and the plan is to expand past a month,” she says.
“We have events starting earlier and finishing later, and things popping up throughout the event, so no matter when or how many times you interact with it, there will always be newness.”
Highlights include the exhibition Cruel Optimism, curated by Christian Sirois, in The Vault at Dairy Road.
Part of the Queer Pavilion, this exhibition features artworks from nationally based artists. It delves into “the liminality of Queer realities, exploring themes of world-building, community construction, cryptic geographies, and the documentation of individual and collective histories”.
On Saturday, 19 October, visitors can join the curator for an artist talk where a number of the exhibiting artists will discuss the motivations and thinking behind their artworks, their Queer journeys and more through a tour of the show.
The exhibition is also complemented by the Queer Curators Symposium – a thought-provoking panel featuring an exciting line-up of Queer curators as they discuss power, responsibilities, representation and the challenges of navigating Queerness and curatorial practice.
“That will be the beginning of the events program in that space, which will be incredible,” Tegan says.
Saturday is a busy one for the Biennial, with the closure of its opening exhibition witness, collector, archivist, narrator at Canberra Contemporary Art Space. The closing event will feature a curator’s talk from Consuelo Cavaniglia and a performance from celebrated sound, text, and film artist MP Hopkins.
Showings of Al Fresco the outdoor exhibition, Al Fresco, curated by Oscar Capezio, feature every Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm to 6 pm for the remainder of the Biennial as well.
This seasonal event brings sculptures from national artists into the burnt-out observatory space at Mount Stromlo, where they are left exposed to the elements, then documented and shared with a wider audience online.
“This is such a cool thing for Canberra to have, and we’re stoked to be able to present a showing of Al Fresco as part of the Biennial,” Tegan says.
On Thursday, 24 October, Glass of Bubbles takes place – an evening of art, conversation and live glassblowing, complete with a glass of bubbles.
Glassblower Katie-Ann Houghton will stage a live demonstration of her new cup design for Palate Cleanser in the Hotshop.
Though Biennial events take audiences through to Sunday, 27 October, the official Closing Party takes place at The Vault on Friday, 25 October, with live music by artist and composer Genie Stuart and the chance to mingle with Biennial artists and curators.
Until then, while the Biennial’s official guided bike tour is done and dusted, Tegan says a self-guided tour on two wheels is a fantastic way to discover it.
“I suggest starting at the institutions in Parkes, perhaps beginning with the National Library. There are six venues in close proximity on the south side, so it’s easy to access via cycling,” she says.
“From there, head to Jazz Money’s sculpture on the lakeside of Canberra Contemporary Artspace, then continue to the Canberra Glassworks foyer, the gallery space at the front of the Cox Architecture building, then up to Thor’s Hammer where you can see a group exhibition in the Mixing Room Gallery and finally, over to Barton Art Box.”
The spread of the Biennial – both geographically and chronologically – is part of its contribution towards carving out Canberra’s place in Australia’s contemporary art landscape.
“I’m interested in helping Canberra build a flourishing cultural landscape that’s exciting and full of opportunities to gather as a community, attend events and see spectacles,” Tegan says.
“I like the idea of an event being spread out, with new things popping up and staging multiple events on the same day. It’s part of being a busy and culturally interesting city.”
The Canberra Art Biennial runs until Sunday, 27 October.
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