
"The Biennale of Sydney plays an indispensable role in Australia’s engagement with the world, and a meaningful role in the life of the nation. In 2018, it attracted visitation of more than 850,000, the highest level in the Biennale’s 45-year history"Barbara Moore, CEO
Biennale of Sydney
The Biennale provides a platform for art and ideas and is recognised for commissioning and presenting innovative, thought-provoking art from Australia and around the globe.
About Us
The Biennale of Sydney acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country, in particular the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation on whose land the Biennale of Sydney is located. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture and pay our respect to Elders, past, present and emerging.
The Biennale of Sydney is one of the leading international contemporary art events. It plays an indispensable role in Australia’s engagement with the world, and a meaningful role in the life of the nation. The Biennale presents the most dynamic contemporary art from around the globe in venues across Sydney with exhibitions that ignite and surprise people, sparking dialogue, cultivating connections and inspiring action through meaningful, shared arts experiences. The Biennale of Sydney amplifies the voices of artists and tell the stories of our global communities, as they drive momentum for lasting cultural change.
Established in 1973, it is the third oldest biennial in the world after Venice and São Paulo and the largest exhibition of its kind in Australia. The Biennale of Sydney has commissioned and presented exceptional works of art by more than 1,900 national and international artists from more than 100 countries.
Board of Directors
Kate Mills (Chairman)
Kate Mills MAICD FIML is an experienced company director, commercial lawyer, policy adviser and consultant on corporate governance and strategy. Kate was a Founding Director of the Inner City Legal Centre Foundation, the Creative Music Fund, and a board member of the Refugee Advice & Casework Service. Kate is a member of international and national visual and performing arts institutions, and an avid collector.
Geoffrey Cassidy (Company Secretary)
Geoffrey Cassidy is an experienced arts administrator and expert in Australian and International Art. Presently the CEO of herringbone Fine Art Systems and Transport, He is a former Director of Sothebys Worldwide and the former Director of Artbank, The Federal Government Arts support initiative. As such he has broad experience in both the commercial and institutional aspects of the Art world. He believes in the relevance and importance of art to national identity, and specialises in art curation, advisory and arts management. In another life Geoffrey was also a supporting solicitor in the Queensland Native Title Unit, where he assisted on major litigation to determine the effect of pastoral leases on Aboriginal land rights.
Matt Crocker
Matt Crocker is a leading public policy professional. As Policy Director for three NSW Premiers over the last decade, Matt has developed unique expertise in government, policy development and strategy. In the corporate sector, Matt was COO of health insurer Manchester Unity and has been a senior advisor on public policy and corporate reputation issues for Westpac. Matt now works on infrastructure project development at Plenary Group and is a strategic advisor at University of Technology Sydney, and a Director of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.
Danielle Earp
Danielle Earp is currently the Acting Head of Exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Her managerial and directorial experience spans two decades working for visual arts and cultural organisations including; Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Living Museums, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Sherman Galleries and 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art.
Johanna Featherstone
Johanna Featherstone is the Founder and former Artistic Director of Red Room Poetry where she established a national poetry education program for schools and correctional centres in New South Wales. Her poetry has been featured in a range of journals and anthologies, and she is currently Director of the Oranges & Sardines Foundation and on the Belvoir board. Johanna is an honorary associate of the University of Sydney’s School Arts and Media and has judged a number of awards including the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and JB Fairfax Award for Rural and Regional Journalism.
Anne Flanagan
Anne Flanagan, former deputy director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, is one of Australia’s most respected art museum leaders. During her 23 years at AGNSW she was responsible for exhibitions and major capital project delivery including Yiribana gallery for Indigenous art, the Asian gallery expansion, John Kaldor Family Gallery and the masterplan for the Gallery expansion. She is a director of Bundanon Trust and a member of the project control group for Sydney Modern, AGNSW.
Evan Kaldor
Evan Kaldor is CEO of The Parent Brand, Australia’s leading digital media company focused on families from pregnancy to preschool. The Parent Brand produces written, video and audio content across the Babyology and Kinderling brands. Evan was the General Manager of FBi Radio, a non-profit community radio station in Sydney focused on supporting local bands and artists, and has a background in investment banking, where he worked for Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Grange Securities, both in Australia and the US.
Ruby Langton-Batty
Ruby Langton-Batty is a graduate of law (UNSW) in training to become a solicitor and currently working as a paralegal at the Paul Ramsay Foundation in Sydney. She has a Bachelor of Production Design from the Victorian College of the Arts and worked as a professional stage and screen designer prior to studying law. She has a diverse experience in editing, writing, research, entertainment and media with a passion for all forms of art. She was born in Alice Springs and is a descendant of the Bidjara and Yiman people in Central Queensland.
James Roth
James has over 30 years’ experience in accounting and finance working with Deutsche bank, UBS, Schroders and Arthur Andersen. He is a Director of Craig’s investment partners in New Zealand and is currently a patron of the Asian Australian Artist Association as well as a member of the Asian Art Archive.
Morry Schwartz AM
Morry Schwartz AM is the founder of Schwartz Media, publisher of the influential The Saturday Paper, The Monthly, and the Quarterly Essay. Morry began his publishing career at the age of 23, when he began Outback Press, publishing poetry and fiction. In a career spanning 40 years, Morry has built a reputation for publishing the highest quality journalism in the country, earning him a place in the Australian Magazine Award’s Hall of Fame in 2018.
Rachel Verghis
Rachel Verghis is a contemporary art patron, collector, entrepreneur and founder of VerghisArt, a platform focusing on artists from the Asia-Pacific region. Rachel is also a member of the Tate’s AsiaPacific Acquisitions Committee, the Australian Venice Biennale International Council, the Sherman Centre for Culture and Ideas, a patron of the Serpentine Gallery in London and soon to join the MCA Foundation Council.
Chris Wirasinha
Chris Wirasinha is the co-founder of Pedestrian.tv, Australia’s largest youth focused publishing brand. Chris co-founded Pedestrian in 2005 when he was just 22 years old. Pedestrian.tv won back-to-back Mumbrella Media Brand of the Year Awards and is Australia’s most successful digital publishing startup. Prior to co-founding Pedestrian, Chris worked at global media and advertising agency Universal McCann.
Committees & Advisors
Benefaction and Events Committee
Johanna Featherstone (Convenor)
Emilya Colliver
Patrick Johnson
Tim Klingender
Ruby Langton-Batty
Clinton Ng
Maurice Terzini
Alyce Tran
Rachel Verghis
Chris Wirasinha
Tea Uglow (Digital Advisor)
For over ten years, Tea Uglow has worked with various artists and cultural organisations, investigating the intersection between technology and the arts. She is currently creative director of Google Creative Lab in Sydney and in 2018, Tea was recognised as one of Australia’s #OUT50 LGBTQ Leaders by Deloitte. Tea has also served on the board for the Australasian Writers & Art Directors Association and the Design & Art Directors Guild.
Our People
Barbara Moore, CEO
José Roca, Artistic Director, 23rd Biennale of Sydney
Clare Hallin, Executive Assistant to the CEO
Jodie Polutele, Head of Communications and External Affairs
Samantha Jones, Grants, Trusts and Foundations Manager
Candice Witton, Digital Producer
Zoe Willox, Communications Coordinator
Kristin Liu, External Affairs Coordinator
Cherie Schweitzer, Head of Exhibitions
Tim Barker, Production Manager
Alex Robinson, Registration Manager
Gotaro Uematsu, Audio Visual Project Manager
Isabelle Morgan, Assistant Curator
Julia Greenstreet, Assistant Curator
Charlotte Galleguillos, Head of Programs and Partnerships
Katrina Rae, Partnerships Manager
Lleah Smith, Programs and Learning Manager
Rachel Esse, Programs and Partnerships Coordinator
Nicola Watson, People and Culture Manager
Elizabeth Nguyen, Finance Manager
Join the Team
The Biennale of Sydney is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity in the workplace.
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Philanthropy Manager
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The Biennale of Sydney seeks a resourceful Philanthropy Manager to develop and deliver a strategic approach to the sustained long-term growth of the largest contemporary art festival in
the Asia Pacific.The support of our generous patrons plays a vital role in ensuring the Biennale of Sydney can present the best contemporary art in the world, free for all to enjoy. This is an opportunity to work in close collaboration across the organisation to maximise revenue whilst ensuring a seamless and rewarding journey for our patrons and supporters.
Download the Philanthropy Manager Information Package. Applications addressing the selection criteria must be received by 5pm on Friday, 12 March 2021.
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Part Time Administration Coordinator
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The Part Time Administration Coordinator is responsible for the smooth operations of the Biennale of Sydney office and is vital to ensuring the effective flow of information within the organisation. Managing the reception, the successful candidate will act as the first point of contact for many enquiries, so outstanding communication skills and a warm personality are essential.
This role, reporting to our People and Culture Manager, is tasked with supporting our dynamic team with general administration, including HR activities and onboarding of new staff, managing our organisations systems and processes and maintaining office supplies.
Download the Part Time Administration Coordinator Information Package. Applications addressing the selection criteria must be received by 5pm on Monday, 15 March 2021.
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Internships
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The Biennale of Sydney offers a limited number of vocational and internship placements as part of its commitment to developing the next generation of Australian artists and arts administrators. These placements are offered to help students or recent graduates meet the requirements of their Australian-based educational or training courses; and to enhance vocational skills in the arts sector.
We are not accepting internship applications at this time.
Subscribe to the Biennale eNews to find out when internship opportunities become available.
Exhibition Reports
21st Biennale of Sydney (2018) Exhibition Report
The 21st Biennale of Sydney: SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium & Engagement exhibited works from 70 artists, attracting visitation of more than 850,000 at seven of Sydney’s museums, galleries and non-traditional exhibition spaces.
Download
20th Biennale of Sydney (2016) Exhibition Report
Curated by Stephanie Rosenthal, the 20th Biennale of Sydney, held from 18 March until 5 June 2016, featured more than 200 artworks by 83 artists and included 70% new commissions.
Read more
19th Biennale of Sydney (2014) Exhibition Report
Curated by Juliana Engberg, the 19th Biennale of Sydney: You Imagine What You Desire presented the work of 92 artists from 31 countries free to the public over a three-month period.
Download
21st Biennale of Sydney (2018) Exhibition Report
The 21st Biennale of Sydney: SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium & Engagement exhibited works from 70 artists, attracting visitation of more than 850,000 at seven of Sydney’s museums, galleries and non-traditional exhibition spaces.
Download
20th Biennale of Sydney (2016) Exhibition Report
Curated by Stephanie Rosenthal, the 20th Biennale of Sydney, held from 18 March until 5 June 2016, featured more than 200 artworks by 83 artists and included 70% new commissions.
Read more
19th Biennale of Sydney (2014) Exhibition Report
Curated by Juliana Engberg, the 19th Biennale of Sydney: You Imagine What You Desire presented the work of 92 artists from 31 countries free to the public over a three-month period.
Download
18th Biennale of Sydney (2012) Exhibition Report
Curated by Artistic Directors Catherine de Zegher and Gerald McMaster, the 18th Biennale of Sydney: all our relations showcased more than 220 works by 101 artists.
Download
16th Biennale of Sydney (2008) Exhibition Report
Revolutions – Forms That Turn (18 June – 7 September 2008), was curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev and presented at seven venues in and around Sydney Harbour, with the eighth being online.
Download
15th Biennale of Sydney (2006) Exhibition Report
The 2006 Biennale of Sydney aspires to be about the ‘now’ of the contemporary, bearing the disjuncture and discontinuities as much as correspondences and traversal movements of encounter and exchange.