17th Biennale of Sydney

The Cockatoo Island ferry - 20 minute free shuttle service
Inopportune : Stage One by Cai Guo-Qiang

Arriving at Cockatoo Island - a catalogue and map are essential

Pier 2/3 Walsh Bay - adjunct Biennale site

Sculpture by Louise Bougoise shown at MCA Biennale venue - ECHO 2007

It was Sunday and the storms were holding off Sydney down the south coast. With a break in the weather the kids and I took off for Biennale on Cockatoo Island. Remembering from last year how crowded the ferry gets later in the day we were on the 10.30am shuttle from the MCA steps at Circular Quay. This year travel is by an old timber ferry and it sets the scene for travelling back in time to Cockatoo Island with its naval and convict history.

The aim of a Sydney Biennale is to showcase diverse works that explore many issues that we face. Themes of dipossession, the past, post colonialism, kitsch, the Asian Pacific region, politics, and terror, beauty and materialism are all explored.

It takes a certain visual verve to tackle the Cockatoo Island exhibits. They are placed in surprising positions throughout the islands old infrastructure and even with a map the terrain is unknown and requires an explorative mind. We covered the main areas in an hour. There are also two tunnels on the island that contain sound scapes from the Japanese invasion of Sydney Harbour when they were used as bomb shelters by the workers. Coincidentally today is the anniversary of that happening.

Its been ten years now since we took a very young Thomas to Cockatoo Island for Biennale. On that occasion we found a house full of white balloons that one was invited to walk through. He remembers this and said - "You took me to that house full of balloons that you had blown up for me."

Even on Sunday it was interesting to watch the different ways children interact with art. They tilt at its components running to and from details that are only surface to us. The politics are unimportant they see the colour and the form.

Take your own group to Cockatoo Island for Biennale it will change the way you see art.