22nd Biennale of Sydney Update

22nd Biennale of Sydney Update

The National Art School is delighted that NIRIN, the 22nd Biennale of Sydney’s extraordinary exhibition, is reopening to the public on June 1, with extended dates running until September/October 2020.

However following decisions made by the National Cabinet, as communicated by the NSW Government, NAS is unable to reopen our public gallery spaces due to duty of care to our students and staff as a tertiary education institution.

As COVID 19 restrictions begin to lift in NSW, NAS students and staff have been returning to campus in line with specified government guidelines, including social distancing and public hygiene measures. Regrettably this means the general public cannot be allowed access to the site, including NAS’s galleries containing installations by NIRIN artists.

As a NIRIN exhibition partner, NAS features the works of Tony Albert (Australia); Randy Lee Cutler (Canada); Noreen Hudson, Vanessa Inkamala and Ivy Pareroultja from Iltja Ntjarra (Many Hands) Art Centre (Australia); Hannah Catherine Jones (UK); Teresa Margolles (Mexico); Andrew Rewald (Australia); and Lucienne Rickard/Adrift Lab (Australia).

For the NIRIN WIR public program, NAS was scheduled to host work from Namila Benson (Australia); FAFSWAG (New Zealand); Brian Fuata (Australia); and MzRizk (Australia).

NIRIN artworks currently located at NAS will be transferred to an alternative venue where they will be accessible to the public, with location and dates announced shortly. Since the NIRIN exhibition spaces closed in March, NAS has continued to present our Biennale artists and their work to the public via the online interview series Artist Insider, contributing to NIRIN’s continued strong virtual presence. Artist Insider is part of NAS Connect, the school’s online program keeping in touch with our extensive creative community to offer inspiration and support.

NAS will continue to feature new NIRIN interviews alongside our online exhibitions, highlights from our art collection, and Studio Sessions posts showing how students have continued their art practice in isolation – see https://nas.edu.au/nas-connect for more.

NAS encourages the public to visit NIRIN as it reopens around Sydney, to experience this unmissable and revolutionary 22nd Biennale of Sydney, showing more than 700 artworks by 101 artists and collectives from around the world. We congratulate NIRIN Artistic Director Brook Andrew and the Biennale team for their tireless efforts to create and sustain this landmark artist- and First Nations-led exhibition through such challenging times.

Where to see NIRIN

· Art Gallery of New South Wales 1 June – 27 September 2020 · Artspace 1 June – 27 September 2020
· Campbelltown Arts Centre 1 June – 11 October 2020
· Cockatoo Island 16 June – 6 September 2020
·Museum of Contemporary Art Australia 16 June – 6 September 2020 (closing date TBC)

NAS Artist Insider interviews

Tony Albert talks about creating his first work in glass, inspired by the original stained glasswindows in the National Art School’s historic Chapel
https://nas.edu.au/tony-albert-interview-nirin/

Randy Lee Cutler and Andrew Rewald talk about collaborating from opposite sides of the world and their shared interest in the secret life of minerals
https://nas.edu.au/artist-insider-randy-lee-cutler-andrew-rewald/

Lucienne Rickard talks about bringing her yearlong drawing performance project Extinction Studies to Sydney for the Biennale
https://nas.edu.au/artist-insider-lucienne-rickard/

Coming soon: Namila Benson, Olivia Sophia (on Teresa Margolles), Hannah Catherine Jones, Dan Rizk (MzRizk), Brian Fuata.

 

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This end of financial year, support the next generation of artists through the National Art School’s Pathways Program.

Your donation will be vital in helping us build a more inclusive and vibrant arts community — creating crucial pathways for talented artists to become leading international artists, regardless of their background.

Support our EOFY campaign via the link in bio and help us to break down barriers to art education.
In June, we celebrate World Pride Month. Like many other culturally significant times, it’s a month that’s meaningful to our community and the Oxford precinct we are part of. 

In 2015, NAS alum Todd Fuller (@fuller_todd) sent members of the public black and white drawings depicting two men engaged in a passionate kiss. The participants were encouraged to respond to the image by colouring in the figures, with the resulting images compiled by Fuller into a mixed media video animation. 

Fuller gifted this work to the National Art School Collection, a collection that performs a major role within the National Art School as both a teaching resource and a historical record. Visit our website to find out more about the works in our collection.

—
Todd Fuller, ‘The Unite Project - 3rd generation ‘, 2015, mixed media animation, colour and sound, 13.35 mins loop; image courtesy the artist and National Art School © Todd Fuller. From the National Art School Collection - Gift of Todd Fuller.
We're excited to share that NAS Photomedia sessional Dr Jack Ball (@jack__ball_) is the winner of the $100,000 Ramsay Art Prize 2025, the nation’s most generous prize for Australian artists under forty.

Jack's award winning work 'Heavy Grit' is on display in the Ramsay Art Prize 2025 exhibition which opens tomorrow, Saturday 31 May

Jack Ball with 'Heavy Grit' in Ramsay Art Prize 2025, Art Gallery of South Australia, (@agsa.adelaide) Adelaide; photo: Saul Steed
Thank you to outgoing Chair Susan Rothwell AM & welcome to incoming Chair Jeff Weeden. The National Art School would like to express its deepest gratitude to Susan Rothwell AM, whose term as Chair of the NAS Board concludes on 31 May 2025. 

At the same time, we are pleased to announce and warmly welcome Jeff Weeden as the incoming Chair of the NAS Board, effective 1 June 2025.

Jeff has served as a Director on the NAS Board since 2019 and currently chairs the Finance and Audit Committee, a position he has held since 2023.  For the full announcement, click the link in the bio.
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