The Biennale of Sydney has announced the curatorial vision and first 39 artists for the 24th edition, titled Ten Thousand Suns. This major international contemporary art festival will be open to the public from 9 March to 10 June 2024, presented in various locations across Sydney.
Led by Artistic Directors Cosmin Costinas and Inti Guerrero, the 24th Biennale of Sydney proposes celebration as both a method and a source of joy, produced in common and broadly shared.
With an exhibition of contemporary art at its core, the event will draw inspiration from histories of queer resistance and of coming-together to thrive in the face of injustice.
“Together with the entire team of the Biennale of Sydney, we are humbled and full of joy as we announce a partial list of artists participating in the 24th Biennale of Sydney,” said Artistic Directors Cosmin Costinas and Inti Guerrero.
“Next year’s Biennale works across time periods, beyond the borders separating cultural practices rooted in different genealogies, and from all continents.”
“The exhibition owes a profound debt to the rich heritage of what is known today as Australia, especially to the struggles and practices in which First Nations communities and migrants have faced and played key roles.”
“The 24th Biennale of Sydney will invoke a spirit of abundance and generosity as powerful political tools and resist the mainstream mindsets of perpetual crisis that often lead to inaction.”
“This edition revisits legacies of collective resistance, strength, and exuberance, embracing a more hopeful and joyful outlook, while celebrating the exhibition as a carnival of rays and radiance, aptly titled Ten Thousand Suns,” they said.
Costinas and Guerrero are frequent collaborators, and their exhibitions embrace the multiplicities of people’s viewpoints, reflected in the unique experiences and possibilities that art can provide, inviting people to challenge and be challenged, to learn and celebrate together.
For the 24th Biennale of Sydney (2024), Australia’s vibrant communities are central to their thinking, while seeing the Biennale as a place that reaffirms the urgency for international dialogue.
“The Biennale of Sydney is one of the top biennials in the world – a leader in this global art movement – presenting the most innovative contemporary art and ideas from around the world,” said Barbara Moore, Chief Executive Officer, Biennale of Sydney. “And admission is free for everyone.”
“So come and experience it, sharing the joys and challenges of our time as a communal participatory experience, inspired by incredible art and artists. As the Biennale of Sydney celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, it is fitting that this edition is a celebration about overcoming adversity to thrive as a community,” said Moore.
The first 39 artists selected have practices firmly rooted in diverse communities and artistic vocabularies, inviting audiences to bear witness to multiple histories.
In partnership with Phoenix Central Park, a program of contemporary music will be presented alongside the exhibition, responding to the works on display and complementing Costinas and Guerrero’s theme.
Expanding beyond its multi-award-winning, architecturally celebrated home in Chippendale, Sydney, audiences can expect Phoenix’s widely-appreciated curatorial footprint to be translated to exciting new locations, with a line-up of bold and performative music experiences.
“We have long held the view that contemporary music is an art form worthy of elevated presentations in fine art spaces,” said Beau Neilson, Executive Producer and Creative Director, Phoenix Central Park. “It’s a great privilege to be creating a music program that will respond to the breadth of work curated by Cosmin Costina? and Inti Guerrero.”
“Together they have assembled a rich and dazzling array of visual art that captures the socio-political zeitgeist with a spirit of optimism, and we look forward to honouring this vision with an exciting line-up that will span the duration of the Biennale,” said Neilson
“The Biennale of Sydney is a much-anticipated event every two years. That reflects its record as an amazing place to experience the best of contemporary art,” said Minister for the Arts and Minister for Jobs and Tourism, John Graham. “I am delighted to see music recognised in this way at the Biennale for the first time.”
“It is a signature event on our state’s cultural events calendar that attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Sydney every two years, supporting our goal for Sydney to be recognised as a destination for cultural events and experiences,” said Minister Graham.
The 24th Biennale of Sydney runs 9 March to 10 June 2024. The full program, including locations and full list of participating artists, will be announced later this year. For more information, visit: www.biennaleofsydney.art for details.
Image: Cosmin Costinas (Co-Artistic Director), Serwah Attafuah, William Yang, Kirtika Kain and Inti Guerrero (Co-Artistic Director) – photo by Joshua Morris