Lisa Paulsen has been supporting the Biennale of Sydney for almost 20 years. Her earliest memory of the Biennale is of Richard Grayson as Artistic Director for the 2002 Biennale of Sydney and an installation at Pier 2/3 in Walsh Bay, which opened her perception and meaning of art outside traditional art galleries.

In her words, the Biennale of Sydney brings increased access to international art, sharing stories by artists from across the world, and for Australian artists to share theirs with the world. Lisa thinks about the political messages that can be expressed through art which can be helpful and healing. She recalls the iconic moments of experiencing Lee Mingwei’s The Mending Project, at the Museum of Contemporary Art for the 2018 Biennale of Sydney.

The title of the 24th Biennale, Ten Thousand Suns, leaves Lisa in an uplifted frame of mind, “I think it’s important we try to be optimistic when there is every reason to be pessimistic”. Lisa enjoys that the Biennale is always an educational occasion, bringing new context for her with different cultures, countries and histories represented. She is anticipating how each artist represents and interprets the themes of Ten Thousand Suns. She is increasingly interested in the different personalities of the various artistic directors, and how that is expressed in each edition of the Biennale.

She looks forward to attending artist talks, Phoenix Central Park’s music program and visiting White Bay Power Station. Lisa is curious by the collaboration between the Biennale of Sydney and visionary partner, Fondation Cartier pour lárt contemporain, who will be supporting fourteen First Nations artists presenting in Ten Thousand Suns.

Photo by Penelope Clay.