Biennale Cockatoo Island

The three month long 20th Biennele of Sydney comes to an end tomorrow.

One of the venues each year is Cockatoo Island.

It's a fabulous venue for a large exhibition as well as being a fascinating place to visit in it's own right. Full of history, industrial beauty and a scenic spot to watch the boats on Sydney Harbour, Cockatoo Island can easily take up a full day of exploring at the best of times.

But when you have the added bonus of an art exhibition and all the food stalls that go along with that, then that day trip can become a huge affair indeed!

I confess that this year's installations on Cockatoo Island didn't do a lot for me.
It felt like someone forget the fun.

Thank goodness for the dumpling bar and the beanbags in the sun!

There were also a lot more video works than previously. And video art doesn't usually do much for me.

However, one of my favourites, because it was so intricate, other-worldly and layered with meaning, was Conscious Sleep by Chiharu Shiota.

It was a whole body experience to enter this space. 

This particular room has three entrances and numerous windows. It is situated high on top of the island. Passing through the doors from full sun into the cool, dark, woven space created by Shiota was quite surreal and a little disturbing.

The threads were beautifully complex and suggestive of connections, constraint and cocoons.
It felt dreamy and nightmarish at the same time.

Six Women by Bharti Kher was intriguing.

According to the official website, she made use of the minimalist, abstract and readymade to "engage with a range of ideas, including gender politics..."

These six sculptures were modelled on real women.

Kher describes them as "mythical urban goddesses".

The island itself is also quite beautiful with all it's industrial, now historic workings.

Not to mention the views across the harbour!

(For those who want to know, the green headland across the water is Elkington Park in Balmain.)

Then there was just the weird.

Justene Williams with the Sydney Chamber Orchestra, used a combination of light, sound, costuming and performance for a Reinvention of the 1913 Futurist Russian (anti) opera Victory Over the Sun. The website used the words 'nonsensical' and 'heady'.

Noisy and jarring were closer to my experience.

Willing to Be Vulnerable by Lee Bul was an alien like experience involving giant helium balloon shapes and metallic and plastic screens that flowed through the space which is, apparently, "emblematic of the dreams and aspirations of humanity".

It's always a good day out going to Cockatoo Island, but the art was a tad disappointing.

This post is part of Saturday Snapshot

Shark Island

In 2010, we took advantage of the Island Hopping experience on Sydney harbour to explore several of the islands that are dotted around the bays & coves.
Normally, these islands are only open for special events or by appointment.

Shark Island was our lunch time stop.
It lies just off Rose Bay & Point Piper.
The Aboriginals called this small island Boambilly.

It was named Shark Island due to its shape.

It boasts beautiful views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Shark Island Light is a pile lighthouse off the northern tip of the island built in 1913.

Shark Island was used as a quarantine station & naval depot from 1880 until 1975.
It is now used exclusively as a recreation reserve.

Clark Island, Sydney Harbour

In 2010, we took advantage of the Island Hopping experience on Sydney Harbour to explore several of the islands that are dotted around the bays & coves.
Normally, these islands are only open for special events or by appointment.

Our last stop was Clark Island.
It lies just off Darling Point and is less than a hectare in size.

Clark Island is named after Lieutenant Ralph Clark.
He arrived in Sydney in 1788 as part of the First Fleeet.
He cultivated the island as a garden from 1789.

Clark Island is now a unique picnic & wedding photo shot destination.
Reservations to visit the island are essential.

Next week: Shark Island

Saturday Snapshot - Goat Island

In 2010, we took advantage of the Island Hopping experience on Sydney harbour to explore several of the islands that are dotted around the bays & coves.
Normally, these islands are only open for special events or by appointment.

The first stop was Goat Island (which is the largest island in Sydney Harbour). We regularly pass it on the ferry to & from our place & the city. From the ferry we can see lots of old buildings and paths, but little else.

Goat Island is situated on the western side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

As you can see, Goat Island has a wonderful view of the harbour and the bridge from the former home of the Harbour Master. It's a shame that the house has been allowed to fall into disrepair.

Mr Seasons & I on the lawn in front of the Harbour Masters Residence.

Memel (the eye) was renamed Goat Island during the early settlement phase of Sydney Town for the simple fact that the early Europeans grazed goats there.

Goat Island became the first home for the Sydney Water Police and Harbour Fire Brigade.

During the month of Island Hopping they used the forecourt (below) for traditional military displays & parades.

The Queen's Gunpowder Magazine was opened in 1836.
It was built with convict labour and sandstone.
It was used to store large amounts of explosives.

Next week: Clark Island

Harbour Sculptures, Woolwich

A flyer turned up in our mailbox about a month ago for something called 'Harbour Sculptures: An Exhibition of Sculpture along the Sydney Harbour Foreshore.'

A quick google revealed a new event put on by Hunters Hill Council, the Australian Government Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and the good people of Woolwich.

It only has a short run - 9 to 20th August. With so much weekend sport in our life, it was going to be difficult to get over. Fortunately my day off from work this week (on Tuesday), dawned beautifully sunny and warm and I decided to make the most of it by jumping on the ferry...to take me across to the other side of the harbour...to Woolwich.

Woolwich Dock was originally built as a dry dock by the Mort Dock & Engineering Company (who were already running a successful dock in Balmain). It was opened in 1901 and at the time was the largest dock in Australia.

During the war years, the dock was very busy converting passenger boats into armed troopships, but new work declined after this and they eventually closed down in 1958.

The Army then took over use of the dock until 1997 as a repairs and maintenance yard.

The goverment planned to sell this site as well as 4 other former Department of Defence sites around Sydney. Local action groups quickly formed to protest this move and they were eventually successful. In 2001 the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust was formed to administer these sites and oversee their use for the public good.

The docks have been leased out and the old worksheds have been converted into restaurants, cafes, function rooms and gallery spaces. The surrounding green space (Goat and Horse Paddocks) and Clarkes Point Reserve are open to the public...and this is where the Harbour Sculpture event was held.

You can see lots of gratuitous shots of the Sydney Harbour Bridge through many of the sculptures.
The old water tower behind a couple of the photos is on Cockatoo Island (another of the former Department of Defence sites now managed by the Trust).
All of the sculptures had a light set-up around them. The publicity team encourages everyone to visit at night to see the full effect....next year! For now, I hope you enjoyed my daytime shots of the sculptures.

Saturday Snapshot is a now being hosted by Melinda from West Metro Mommy

The rules are simple:

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.