There’s no excuse for the scandals that have rocked this year’s Biennale of Sydney. It was always clear that the event was being held at a highly sensitive moment, when the world was dividing itself into hostile camps over the ongoing carnage in the Middle East. With previous Biennales I’ve written two pieces: one that decodes the theme and provides groundwork for the exhibition, a second that focuses on the art. This year I’ll continue that practice, although there’s more to be said about the nature of the show than the exhibitors.
Any discussion must begin with the appointment of Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi as Artistic Director. The choice was justified by Hoor’s status as one of the most influential figures in international contemporary art, but in all other respects it was an accident waiting to happen.
Hoor had already chosen her list of artists and participants for the Biennale when the massacre at Bondi sent the country into a state of shock, prompting an upsurge of collective grief and trauma. This was not a promising environment for a Biennale packed with artists who have taken an overtly hostile stance in relation to Israel or Zionism.