Art Talk: How Has Covid Affected the World's Art Fairs?

A Case Study of the 22nd Biennale of Sydney

Speaker Linda Tyler, the University of Auckland

After two years of preparation, the 700 works made by 101 artists for this year’s Biennale of Sydney were visible for just 10 days before Sydney went into lockdown on 24 March 2020. Later, five of the six venues reopened, and the end date for the biennale was extended three months until September. Although the hope was that travel restrictions might relax enough to allow international and interstate visitors to see NIRIN, the first biennale to have an indigenous artistic director, Brook Andrew, unfortunately, it has closed without borders opening. Digital experiences became the most frequent means of access to this historic and hugely important multi-venue event which took on extra poignancy in the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter protests. The Biennale of Sydney took place, but?

Linda Tyler has taught art and design history at Canterbury, Victoria, Waikato and Auckland universities and currently teaches art writing and curatorial practice at Honours level in the Art History Department, and supervises student research in the University’s Museums and Cultural Heritage programme.

This free event is proudly supported by Hibiscus And Bays Local Board. Please let us know if you are attending by sending an RSVP to office@mairangiarts.co.nz