Dulcineasdiarycontinued: Saturday 17th March 2018 - 21st Biennale Sydney 2018 - Superposition Equalibrium & Engagement @ Cockatoo Island

Art, art and more art this time in Sydney.

The above event held every 2 years as the name implies is on again.

A searing hot day in Sydney again but not as hot as it will be tomorrow.

Off I go on a ferry from Circular Quay to Cockatoo Island via the new Barangaroo ferry wharf(s).

The sea breeze on the ferry ride which takes about 20 minutes is a refreshing relief from the searing heat.

I arrive at Cockatoo Island and the first thing I do is go to the information booth to obtain a map and purchase a program. The map is for crossing off each work of art I see as I wonder around the Island.

I armed myself very well today with 2 bottles of water, a pair of sunglasses, 30+ lip balm , a roll on stick of sunscreen 30+ , hat, long sleeved cotton shirt, long quick dry pants and a cooling towel soaked in water. Money and snacks and the essential - a camera!

Photos attached. I have uploaded 3 short preview videos onto YouTube. Also refer to my facebook account for preview photos.

Above confusion of which ferry arriving at Wharf 5 Circular Quay is destined for Cockatoo Island. The fast blue ferry was running late and deparate to offload and board passengers all waiting for the Cookatoo Island ferry. After several passengers asking the ferry officer, a number of passengers board this ferry whilst others wait for the other slower green ferry also destined for Cockatoo Island docked on side B of the same wharf. The ferry officer yells out that this ferry is running late and about to depart "If you don't know where you are going it is too late!" before shutting the gate. The indicator board changed so fast nobody knew where the departing ferry was heading.

Safely on the ferry bound for Cockatoo Island. It was a 20 minute trip. Arriving at Cockatoo Island Wharf via a stop off @ the new Barangaroo Wharf in the searing heat.

Around 2.30 pm I completed the entire Cockatoo Island circuit (approximately 23 artists) so board the next ferry back to Circular Quay. After getting 2 calamari rings with tartare sauce for a mid afternoon snack (breakfast was an egg bacon and rocket toasted brown bread sandwich with bbq sauce from Gateway), I head to the MCA's members lounge to relax from the heat with a complimentary cold water tea or coffee. I spend the rest of the afternoon there until 4.40 pm when I realised everyone else had left the members lounge and the MCA closes at 5 pm.

I finish my blogging and made online payment of some bills which I had trouble paying this morning. I have a glass of cold water from the members lounge fridge, finish my bottle of water, an apple and a mocha bar to lighten the weight of my backpack and because I was Hungary ate my 2 calamari rings. Rubbish in the bin, I was ready to head home out in the searing heat again. Stopping at Woolworths Town Hall to recharge my Opal card and do a quick grocery shop.

End of another big hot day!

Cockatoo Island: Rating 9/10 - must visit destination for visitors to Sydney. Day trip or midweek or weekend getaway. The island is accessible by water taxi or ferry or private water transport only. On the Island there is always something to do year round but most popular is camping, glamping or staying in one of the furnished properties on the island for a nice getaway. So close to Sydney yet you feel so far away. There are some cafes and concessions on the island. There is also a few vending machines for bottled non alcoholic drinks around the island. Toilet blocks (including hot/cold showers, sink & toliet all in each cubicle) , bbqs and even a laundry facility are available on the island which are pretty well serviced. However all food and drink is byo - no convenient store on the island at all and cafes and food/drink concessions are limited ie opening and closing times and days of operation therefore ensure you bring an esky and enough supplies with you. Keep your rubbish to a minimum and try to take it with you back off the island although there are a few bins around the Island. Take a camera the views are fantastic! Be prepared for all extreme weather conditions.

21st Biennale Sydney 2018 @ Cockatoo Island : Rating 6/10 - Yes so what can I say. A little disappointed with the event so far. The Industrial Precinct on the Island was the most interesting - everything else on the island average. Nowhere as good as previous Biennales on the island. I managed to find and visit all 25 or so artist's works
(some had multiple works on display throughout the island). 21st Biennale of Sydney Superposition Equilibrium & Engagement on from 16th March - 11th June 2018. spread across 7 locations. I still have 6 other locations to visit MCA , Art Gallery of NSW, Artspace , Carriageworks, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art & Sydney Opera House. Hopefully I will enjoy them more. For now it is far too hot to visit another location. Plenty of time later.

Exterior of the Industrial Precinct Building on Cockatoo Island - my chosen starting point

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 1 & 8 Abraham Cruzvillegas

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 2 Yukinori Yanagi - Interactive walk through art installation, one of my favourites, multidirectional disorientational, dark mysterious with a twisted ending - refer blog about House of Mirrors.

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 3 Julian Abraham 'Togar'

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 4 Martin Walde

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 5 Mit Jai Inn

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 6 Anya Gallaccio

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 7 Tawatchai Puntusawasdi

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 1 & 8 Abraham Cruzvillegas

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 10 Koji Ryui - visual and audio art installation, somewhat calming, temple like, hypnotic if you stay long enough around art installation.

Inside the Industrial Precinct Building - artist # 9 Ai Weiwei - huge art installation, look - read - feel the artist's story, another one of my favourite art installations, walk arounf it or view it from above viewing platform

Elsewhere around Cockatoo Island - artist # 19 & 25 Ryan Gander - signs and video/camera trickery

Courtyard @ the top of Cockatoo Island - artist # 17 Kate Newby

Artist # 19 & 25 Ryan Gander - is this art? a room filled with artificial snow with a fake entrance and set of lit up stairs - Did not even realise that the chair at the other end of the room was actually part of his artwork!

Artist # 15 Su-Mei Tse - I was impressed with this projection trickery to form these screens of optical illusions.

Artist # 20 Wong Hoy Cheong

Artist # 23 & 13 Yasmin Smith

Artist # 18 & 22 Suzanne Lacy

Artist # 21 Khaled Sabsabi - interactive art installation - smell the rosewater, see the series of vertical and horizontal projections as well as the rugs and hear the chanting.

Artist # 11 & 12 Yukinori Yanagi - a little bit eerie - there is only one eye that moves but it is projecting images of what it sees during a nuclear war - refer blog of VIVID Botanic Gardens.