It was the weekend before pay day and my entertainment options were limited. While it was a chilly day in Sydney, the sun was out and staying at home was never an option. So I get a couple of friends together and headed out to the Biennale of Sydney at Cockatoo Island and what a fantastic day it was!
The Biennale of Sydney is being hosted at a number of different venues, we decided to go to Cockatoo Island that was hosting 120 works by 56 artists. Wandering around Cockatoo Island was a treat in itself but viewing pieces of art that were hanging from the ceiling, climbing over sculptures, listening to audio and being intrigued by the stories being told, made for a great day of education, cultural experiences and fun with friends.
My favourite piece was a sculptural installation from the artist Cai Guo-Qiang who has a history of making works of extraordinary beauty from violent beginnings; most famously using gunpowder,fireworks and explosions. Cai’s Inopportune: Stage One (2004) is an installation of nine cars. The cars are pierced with pulsing rods of light that simultaneously suspend the cars like wings and penetrate them like blades, signifying a coexisting violence and beauty.
There were many other pieces that made the trip worthwhile. The other highlight for me was the series of shanty town roofs created by artist Kader Attia. The piece is a reflection of the conditions in which the majority of the world’s population live. They are installed at different angles to make a 350-square-meter patchwork of corrugated iron, satellite dishes and other scrap materials. This piece reminded me of my travels through Asia and really resonated with my experiences of how people live across the world.
I could go on all day about some of the pieces that were on display at the Biennale of Sydney but I think my favourite part of all was the free ferry ride home. We were lucky to board the ferry just as the sun was coming down. We cruised past some of Sydney’s best icons and I really felt like I had experienced a day in Sydney that others would envy. I have always loved living in Sydney but sometimes a day like this really cements the fact we live in the best city in the world.
I will leave you with a few snaps form the ferry ride home.
