Biennale of Sydney to Be ‘a Carnival of Rays and Radiance'

News Biennale of Sydney Names Cosmin Costinaș and Inti Guerrero Artistic Directors Sam Gaskin

The Biennale of Sydney has announced the curatorial vision for its 24th edition, which takes place 9 March–10 June 2024.

Titled Ten Thousand Suns, the Biennale proposes celebration as both a source of joy and a kind of political expression, as evidenced by Pride parades, Carnival, and the famous Sydney Mardi Gras.

‘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,’ said Artistic Directors Cosmin Costinaș and Inti Guerrero.

‘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.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Costinas acknowledged the title brings to mind the threats of climate change and nuclear war, but offered that ‘the Biennale is precisely a statement against apocalyptic thinking.’

Thirty-nine of the Biennale’s participating artists have been announced so far, including Andrew Thomas Huang (USA), Anne Samat (Malaysia/USA), and Serwah Attafuah (Ashanti, Australia). All 39 artists can be found on the Biennale’s website here. —[O]

Main image: Andrew Thomas Huang, Flesh Nest (2017) (still). Digital video and animation. 9 min 23 sec. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Andrew Thomas Huang.