By Biennale of Sydney
23rd Biennale of Sydney: rīvus
The Cutaway at Barangaroo (2022) by Document PhotographyBiennale of Sydney
The 23rd Biennale of Sydney, titled rīvus, offers a flow of artworks, experiments, activisms and research across multiple locations. Rivers, wetlands and other salt and freshwater ecosystems feature in rīvus, as dynamic living systems with varying degrees of political agency.
Before you explore the 2022 edition, here's 5 things about rīvus we think you should know ...
Rushcutters Bay (2021) by José RocaBiennale of Sydney
1. The meaning of rīvus
rīvus means ‘stream’ in Latin. Interestingly, the word ‘rivalry’ has its origins in the Latin root rivālis which is derived from rīvus. rivālis / rivalry means ‘one who uses the same stream / water source’.
Uncle Charles 'Chicka' Madden / Tar-Ra (Dawes Point), Gadigal Land, Sydney (2022) by Ackroyd & HarveyBiennale of Sydney
2. Conceptual wetlands, rather than locations
The 23rd Biennale is articulated around a series of conceptual wetlands situated along waterways of the Gadigal and Barramatagal peoples, such as the Art Gallery of NSW. These imagined ecosystems are populated by artworks, experiments, activisms and research.
The Cutaway at Barangaroo (2022) by Document PhotographyBiennale of Sydney
3. Participants, not artists
Those invited to take part in the 23rd Biennale of Sydney are known as participants rather than artists, reflecting their diverse talents, skills, practices and modes of being that extend beyond the realm of the visual arts.
Kes Wakai Ngu (voices from Zenadh Kes) (2021) by Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait), AustraliaBiennale of Sydney
4. Bodies of water feature in rīvus
For the first time, nature is included as a participant. Indigenous knowledge has long understood non-human entities as living beings with a right to life that must be protected. But only recently have some plants, mountains and bodies of water been granted legal personhood.
The Curatorium The Curatorium (2022) by Joshua MorrisBiennale of Sydney
5. The Curatorium
The concept for rīvus was developed and realised by a team of curators – the Curatorium – who represent the Biennale of Sydney’s core exhibition partners.
