On Tuesday, May 24th, after the kids headed off to school, ML & I went to the 20th annual Biennale Art Festival at Cockatoo Island. There is art at several other venues, but Cockatoo Island is unique. It was first a prison for the famous convicts who populated Australia in the early days of European colonization, and the facility here was apparently for the worst of the worst. Then it became a ship yard for decades where large boats for shipping and warfare were built and launched. It was retired in the 1990’s and has since them become a camping spot, tourist destination, and art space in the large industrial buildings. This first set of pix shows how the rock was carved to create the functionality of the island, there are some buildings and fixtures, the prison buildings, etc…

Here are more pix of Cockatoo Island, including the camping tent area, various displays about the old days, some artwork depicting the former uses of the island, and the view from the tennis court adjacent to one of the houses here…

These pix show some of the Biennale art projects. One involved 3D video headset in a tunnel, various videos, large installations using clear plastic, a mylar zeppelin, black string, and myriad sculptures…

Here are more large installations involving video, diagrams, pendula (pendulums? one of my favs), and more sculptures…

On other days I’ve gone on some walks & runs. Here are some more examples of Sydney Street Art…

Finally, here’s another set from downtown Sydney. The train station in Circular Quay, the many buildings around Darling Harbor, and shots from the ferry…

Study Questions:

1. Research Cockatoo Island and/or the Biennale Art Show (use links above). What is fun and interesting about the history and/or art of Sydney?
2. Now go take some photographs and/or make some art and get ’em out there!