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22nd Biennale of Sydney Update

News On Campus

22nd Biennale of Sydney Update

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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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The National Art School was saddened to hear of the recent death of artist and NAS alumnus Bruce Goold (1948-2025).

Born in Newcastle in 1948, from 1961- 65 Bruce attended Sydney Grammar School, where he studied art with ceramicist and potter Gordon McCausland. This was followed by a year at the National Art School, Newcastle. Here he experimented with various mediums and made his first linocut. He then studied at the National Art School, c. 1967-68.

Bruce was a member of the artist collective Yellow House between 1970-72. The former Clune Gallery in Kings Cross was transformed by Martin Sharp and a group of fellow artists, who painted the exterior bright yellow and covered its internal walls with murals, portraits and decoration. Artists such as Brett Whiteley, Peter Wright, Bruce Goold, Greg Weight and Peter Kingston turned the building into an artwork, while visiting bands and celebrities made it a regular fixture of the Sydney scene.

Known principally as a printmaker, Goold created coloured linocuts and woodblocks including many images of Australian flora and fauna, as well as South Pacific inspired esoteric and symbolic subjects. He held solo exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne and internationally in London and Ireland. He received major commissions for poster, logo and interior design and worked as a designer for Mambo from 1992.

A retrospective exhibition, Bruce Goold, Artist, Designer, Printmaker, curated by Therese Kenyon, was held at Manly Art Gallery & Museum in 2008.
The National Art School extends its sympathies to Bruce’s family and many friends.
—
Greg Weight, `Bruce Goold`, 1998, NAS Collection

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Jul 28

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The National Art School was saddened to hear of the recent death of artist and NAS alumnus Bruce Goold (1948-2025). Born in Newcastle in 1948, from 1961- 65 Bruce attended Sydney Grammar School, where he studied art with ceramicist and potter Gordon McCausland. This was followed by a year at the National Art School, Newcastle. Here he experimented with various mediums and made his first linocut. He then studied at the National Art School, c. 1967-68. Bruce was a member of the artist collective Yellow House between 1970-72. The former Clune Gallery in Kings Cross was transformed by Martin Sharp and a group of fellow artists, who painted the exterior bright yellow and covered its internal walls with murals, portraits and decoration. Artists such as Brett Whiteley, Peter Wright, Bruce Goold, Greg Weight and Peter Kingston turned the building into an artwork, while visiting bands and celebrities made it a regular fixture of the Sydney scene. Known principally as a printmaker, Goold created coloured linocuts and woodblocks including many images of Australian flora and fauna, as well as South Pacific inspired esoteric and symbolic subjects. He held solo exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne and internationally in London and Ireland. He received major commissions for poster, logo and interior design and worked as a designer for Mambo from 1992. A retrospective exhibition, Bruce Goold, Artist, Designer, Printmaker, curated by Therese Kenyon, was held at Manly Art Gallery & Museum in 2008. The National Art School extends its sympathies to Bruce’s family and many friends. — Greg Weight, 'Bruce Goold', 1998, NAS Collection

Got a young artist at home?

Art Club Term 3 is now open for enrolment — and we’ve got an exciting painting program lined up. This term, kids will explore styles like Expressive Acrylics and Contemporary Watercolour, all while building their confidence and creativity.

Monday afternoons, led by artist and educator Grant Bellamy.

Visit the link in bio to learn more and enrol.

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Jul 17

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Got a young artist at home? Art Club Term 3 is now open for enrolment — and we’ve got an exciting painting program lined up. This term, kids will explore styles like Expressive Acrylics and Contemporary Watercolour, all while building their confidence and creativity. Monday afternoons, led by artist and educator Grant Bellamy. Visit the link in bio to learn more and enrol.

Thank you to everyone who attended the opening night and weekend celebrations for The Neighbour at the Gate.

The Neighbour at the Gate is now open until Saturday 18 October 2025
11am – 5pm Monday to Saturday
NAS Gallery
Free admission, all welcome

Plan your visit at the link in bio.

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Jul 15

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Thank you to everyone who attended the opening night and weekend celebrations for The Neighbour at the Gate. The Neighbour at the Gate is now open until Saturday 18 October 2025 11am – 5pm Monday to Saturday NAS Gallery Free admission, all welcome Plan your visit at the link in bio.

Led by art educators and inspired by James Nguyen’s new installation work `Homeopathies_where trees grow` (2025), join us for a free drop-in artmaking workshop to make your own incense holder out of clay which will become part of the evolving artwork in the NAS Gallery, commissioned for The Neighbour at the Gate.

Next Saturday, 12 July, between 11am – 3pm.

Visit our website to view the full program (link in bio).

The Neighbour at the Gate has been made possible with the generous support of the NSW Government through its Blockbusters Funding initiative.

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Jul 8

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Led by art educators and inspired by James Nguyen’s new installation work 'Homeopathies_where trees grow' (2025), join us for a free drop-in artmaking workshop to make your own incense holder out of clay which will become part of the evolving artwork in the NAS Gallery, commissioned for The Neighbour at the Gate. Next Saturday, 12 July, between 11am – 3pm. Visit our website to view the full program (link in bio). The Neighbour at the Gate has been made possible with the generous support of the NSW Government through its Blockbusters Funding initiative.
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