21st Biennale of Sydney Announces Title and Second List of Participating Artists

On July 19, the Biennale of Sydney’s artistic director Mami Kataoka announced the title of the 2018 edition of the biennale: “Superposition: Art of Equilibrium and Engagement.” Kataoka also revealed the second list of artists who will be featured, bringing the number of participants announced thus far up to 37. The first group of artists was announced in April, while the full roster will be confirmed in October, 2017.

Regarded as one of the most influential contemporary art events in Australia, the Biennale of Sydney has a rich history of over 40 years. The title of the 21st Biennale of Sydney adopts the quantum mechanical term “superposition” and uses its metaphorical meaning to address the complex phenomenon where cultural elements are renewed in collision and interaction. Speaking at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo, Kataoka explained that the theme addresses the contemporary situation where one is surrounded by “conflicting ideas across all levels of humanity.” She said that the artists, who come from around the globe, “have been chosen to offer a panoramic view of how opposing understandings and interpretations can come together in a state of equilibrium,” adding that their artworks “will serve as a catalyst for thinking about these principles and concerns, and encourage each of us to consider our own position in society as a starting point.”

Jo-Anne Birnie-Danzker, director and CEO of the Biennale of Sydney also described Kataoka’s vision as “timely and prescient,” since the event encourages contemplation on how all things in the world interact, as well as one’s relative positions in the world.

The second list of participants announced includes:

Julian Abraham ‘Togar’

Chen Shaoxiong

Geng Xue

Tanya Goel

Hsu Chia-Wei

Ami Inoue

Sosa Joseph

Prabhavathi Meppayil

Tomie Ohtake

Tawatchai Puntusawasdi

Sa Sa Art Projects

Svay Sareth

Akira Takayama

Maria Taniguchi

Su-Mei Tse

Samson Young

Yukinori Yanagi

Koji Ryui

Rika Noguchi

The 21st Biennale of Sydney will be presented over 12 weeks in 2018, from March 16 until June 11, at multiple locations throughout Sydney.

Jia Dong is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.

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