Ben Apfelbaum

NIRIN (EDGE) : THE 22ND BIENNALE OF SYDNEY 2020

The Biennale of Sydney 2020 found an unusual place to announce the 98 artists who will be exhibiting their works next year. The Prince Henry Centre is located at Little Bay.  An Aboriginal elder Dr Peter McKenzie explained the significance of the site.

It was here 50 years ago that Christo wrapped the Bay’s coastline. Perhaps more importantly the site housed a Leprosarium as well as the Prince Henry Hospital which specialised in infectious diseases. Unfortunately some of its patients were the Aborigines, particularly from La Perouse.

Barbara Moore, CEO of the Biennale, outlined the benefits that the Biennale brings to Sydney. In 2018 it attracted over 850,000 visitors, a record for its then 45 year history. As a result it attracts twice the number of visitors as the Venice Biennale. Furthermore it injects $35,000,000 into Sydney’s economy, despite the fact that all exhibitions and events are free.

Brook Andrews, the Artistic Director, outlined certain works to look out for in next year’s exhibition and announced that in the city area there would be six venues – the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Artspace in Woolloomooloo, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Rocks and the National Art School, Darlinghurst.

For the first time artists from Nepal, Georgia, Afghanistan and Ecuador will  exhibit in the Biennale.

The briefing also included performances by MzRizk, Mardia Rahman from the Bankstown Poetry Slam, Nadine aka L Fresh the Lion from 4E Sydney HipHop Festival and Brazilian performance artist Jota Mombaca.

There will also be a program of activities for children entitled Our Path.

Nirin meaning Edge and Wir meaning sky is an extensive program spanning from the Blue Mountains to La Perouse. In partnership with the Blacktown Native Institution, Parramatta Female Factory, Bankstown Poetry Slam, 4E Sydney Hip Hop Festival and the Powerhouse Museum amongst others.

Barbara Moore reminded the audience that next year will be the  250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s landing at Kurnell in Botany Bay.

Almost as a refutation to that landing it was announced that there will be an International First Nations Conference with indigenous nations invited from all over the world.

Nirin, the 22nd Biennale of Sydney will be open from the 14th March to the 8th June, 2020.

Featured photo:  Artistic Director  Brook Andrews . All pics by Ben Apfelbaum.

 

Published by Ben Apfelbaum

My photography began when my father handed me the proverbial brownie box camera as a child. As cameras developed I went through Fujica and Olympus range finders graduating to my first single lens reflex camera, the Minolta SRT101, the latter being the greatest facilitator to my growth as a photographer. Digital photography has only added to this. I was a regular contributor to Camera Craft magazine (Australian Camera ) for over three years. During Australia’s Bicentennial year (1988) I made it a personal project to document the celebrations. This culminated in the creation of a book of my photos which was published in 1989. The book was called CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA and came with an accompanying calendar. My works have appeared in a number of publications including the coffee book entitled MY AUSTRALIA (1989), publisher Robertsbridge Severn. This book had a preface by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. I was a co-photographer on a book entitled SYDNEY- DISCOVER THE CITY with text written by Robert Treborland. Major Mitchell Press was the publisher. Also for two years I was the photographer for calendars celebrating Sydney’s multicultural communities. The two calendars were entitled MULTICULTURAL SYDNEY. My work appeared in a group exhibition held at Sydney’s Town Hall pertaining to the diversity of life in South America to raise money for orphanages there. I have over one hundred photos stored in the New South Wales State Library archive. I had a solo exhibition held in 2007 entitled Ben’s Lens at the Sydney Jewish Museum which celebrated the vibrancy of the Sydney Jewish community. Some of these photos are on the Museum’s permanent display. I have exhibited internationally firstly at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta Georgia, united states, and in an exhibition entitled Kosher and Co at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Currently I am a regular contributor to J-Wire and this esteemed publication.