The Biennale of Sydney is dedicated to amplifying all First Nations voices and promoting cultural exchange, dialogue, and reconciliation. The Biennale recognises the profound contributions of First Nations People to art, culture, and society.

Driven by a deep respect for Indigenous sovereignty in Australia, the Biennale of Sydney acknowledges the importance of the right to self-determination and the authority of Australian First Nations People in defining and controlling their cultural narratives. We proudly support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which calls for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the Constitution and the establishment of a Makarrata Commission for treaty-making and truth-telling.

First Nations Peoples have long called for formal recognition and a voice at the highest levels of our country. As far back as Yorta Yorta elder William Cooper’s letter to King George VI (1937), the Yirrkala Bark Petitions (1963), the Larrakia Petition (1972), and the Barunga Statement (1988), First Peoples have fought for a fair place.

Enshrining a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Constitution is a crucial step toward recognition, truth-telling, and advancing the principle of self-determination. The Biennale believes that the Uluru Statement from the Heart extends a generous and powerful invitation to all Australians. The forthcoming referendum presents an opportunity for us to come together as a nation to meet this invitation in the same spirit of generosity.