22_05_2010

Tours!

Lead my first tour on Cockatoo Island today.  Boarded the ferry with the public at the Commissioner’s steps in front of the MCA, and arrived with ten minutes to spare before the tour started.  It was a small group, of about 8 people, a nice number for my first time out.  I was a bit nervous, but once I got rolling, everything was fine.  I mean, we have been attending seminars with Dougal and Nisa since November, learning about each of the artists and artworks on the Island, so it’s comforting that I’ve actually retained some of that information!  I started at the Brook Andrew work, then headed inside the Turbine Hall to the Cai Guo Qiang, Kadar Attia, Dale Frank, Peter Hennessey, Slave Pianos, and Robert MacPherson, then moved on to the Power House where the Hiroshi Sugimoto work is, and finally rounded things out at the AES+F installation at the back of the island.  It’s a 35-minute video, so it’s a great place to leave your tour group at the end of the hour.  I was able to make it around to all these artworks, without too much visitor fatigue setting in.  I am sure when the groups are larger I’ll have to make adjustments accordingly.  Doubt we’ll be able to make it around to as many artworks, since some of the time will be devoted to herding people!  Looking forward to mixing things up and taking groups around to different works, like the ones at the top of the island.  Also, realized, Cockatoo Island is a lot larger then you might think… may actually get some exercise out here too!

16_05_2010

Chairman’s farewell:

We did it; we survived Opening Week of BOS17!  It was a week of liaising with artists, curators, the public, and other BOS staff.  Intern initiation week is over, and we’ve proven that we can be depended on, in a wide variety of contexts.  Dougal’s technique, of throwing us into the deep end was successful, and we stepped up to the challenge.  This is what working for a small arts organization is about, it’s about being a flexible team player, and being adaptable to tasks that may not necessarily fall into your jurisdiction.  Nikki, Kate and I are the Public Programs and Education interns, but this week we helped in virtually every department, from Sponsorship and Benefaction to Marketing.  It’s one thing to read a job posting that says you need these skills to work for an organization like the Biennale and it’s entirely another to actually experience it first hand.  I think I’ve learned that I could thrive professionally in this kind of environment, if given the opportunity.  Tonight at the Chairman’s farewell, it was nice to just kick back and relax after a hectic week.  Penny Siopsis came up to me tonight, and thanked me again for picking her and her husband up at the airport.  She said she was really grateful for my helpful and pleasant demeanor at the airport – it was really lovely of her to say such kind things.   

Kate, Me, Alec, Alex and Nisa @ Chairman's Farewell

15_05_2010

More Artist Talks on Cockatoo:

Same responsibilities as a few days back, except different artists this time.  The artists that hosted talks today included: Roger Ballen, Richard Grayson, Peter Hennessey, Kate McMillan, Michaela Dwyer, Jonathan Barnbrook and Brook Andrew.  Nerves got the best of me today, and when I was introducing Brook Andrew I said “Please join me in welcoming Brook Andrew for a private chat with the audience”, when I was meaning to say “intimate conversation with the artist”!  God, I felt like such an imbecile, particularly since the artist took note, saying something about it when I handed him the microphone (pretty sure he was joking but nevertheless).  Oh well, these things are bound to happen; it is a learning experience after all (let’s hope at least)! I was trying not to beat myself up about it, since I had had such a great week.  I’m blaming it on fatigue, I mean it has been a week straight of endless running around!  Also, I was a bit awestruck by Brook Andrew I think.  I digress.  Here are some pictures:

Mikala Dwyer

Peter Hennessey

Mikala Dwyer

Mikala Dwyer

Peter Hennessey

Roger Ballen

Kate McMillan

Kate McMillan

Kate McMillan

Richard Grayson

Jonathan Barnbrook

Jonathan Barnbrook

Brook Andrew

Brook Andrew

Brook Andrew

Roger Ballen

14_05_2010

The first day, of a two-day forum at the AGNSW started today.  Mainly I helped check the RSVPs of people attending the forum, helped set up and pack down, took photos, helped facilitate the filming of the event and in between had the opportunity to listen to the panel discussions (which lasted the entire day).  Please see below, the event plan (for those of us involved with running the forum that day) and the synopsis and itinerary that were given to each person as they entered the event.

13_05_2010

Artist Talks on Cockatoo Island!

Today, I led the artist talks on Cockatoo Island. This involved dragging a PA around, wrangling visitors up for the talks, and introducing each artist and thanking them for being there.  The most challenging task today was having to lead the question and answer period.  The public was a bit timid about asking questions, so I had to facilitate many of them.  This definitely tested my knowledge about the artworks!  The artists that spoke were Jota Castro, Slave Pianos, Ola Kohlemeinan, and Tsang Kin-Wah.  I was particularly interested in Tsang Kin-Wah’s talk.  He spoke about how he was raised staunchly Christian, and his work is a visual representation of the confusing psychological state one experiences when they are sorting through the confusions of rejecting a religious life.  His work involves projections of stream-of-consciousness-like language across a ceiling that ultimately reaches a euphoric climax.  Every time I take in the work, I take note of some other message the artist is conveying.  It’s a involved work, so to hear the artist shed light on where he was coming from when he made it, makes the work a lot more accessible for the audience.  Artist talks are an excellent way to involve people in the exhibition in a more intimate manner.

12_05_2010

Curator Bus Tour!

Today, Kate and I joined Dougal Phillips (Public Programs and Education Manager at the Biennale of Sydney), as he toured a bus full of international curators around various galleries around Sydney.  We went to the Sherman Foundation, Anna Schwartz Gallery, The White Rabbit Gallery, and the Roslyn Oxley Gallery.  At each venue we were greeted by the owners/founders of the galleries, and given a short history on the institution etc.  It was great to be able to mingle with the curators, since some of them have 20-30 years experience curating in an international context.  We were permitted to mingle, and chat, and even enjoyed a lovely catered lunch at The White Rabbit and tea and coffee at RosOx with the curators.  It was a great experience, particularly since I had not been to 50% of the galleries we visited.  Can’t wait for the Artists’ and Supporters’ Party at Cockatoo Island tonight, I hear it’s L E G E N D A R Y (as Barney from How I Met Your Mother would say!). Ha!

Jackie, Dougal and Kate

10_05_2010

After picking up curators Axel Lapp and Adelaide Bannerman at the airport this morning, and dropping them at the Sofitel Hotel, I met artist Danica Dakic and hopped into a taxi and escorted her to Pier 2/3 for her media briefing and the Friend’s Briefing.  The Friend’s Briefing was a sneak peak for members/supporters of the Biennale.  For $199, members are given access to special events, and in this case, they had the privilege of hearing Dakic personally speak about her work Isola Bella (2007-2008) at Pier 2/3, and the opportunity to take in the other artworks at the venue before they opened to the public.  The other artists featured at Pier 2/3 include Newell Harry and Paul McCarthy.  From there, I went over to the Museum of Contemporary Art, where I was responsible for photographing the larrikitj ceremony.  The ceremonial opening for the 110 larrakitj memorial poles, by 41 Yolngu artists from Arnhem Land, involved traditional song and dance by a male collective of Aboriginal men.  A few Aboriginal elders were present for the spiritual ceremony too.  It was extremely moving, especially when there was mention of the recent passing of a number of artists that painted the poles, followed by a minute of silence by the audience.  The poles were traditionally used in funeral rituals, painted with specific clan designs from the deceased.  It was an honour to be involved in such a thing.  Following the ceremony, artist Barthelemy Toguo did his “guerrilla performance” Punishment on the front lawn of the MCA.  For it, Toguo stood in an oil barrel and labouriously drank a one litre bottle of water, over the span of twelve minutes.  The water bottled pointed to the sky, his arms out to the side like wings, as the sun set over the Sydney Opera House in the background, and reflected straight through the bottle, Toguo dramatically drew out the drinking of the water, so you too, as the audience felt his “punishment” as air bubbles rippled through the bottle.  Also, Kate and Nisa had to shoot out to Marrickville to get him the barrel, since he decided to change his performance just two hours before it was scheduled to happen!  I took snaps, and looked after whatever Toguo needed before, during and after the performance (with the other interns too of course).  Kate was also Tweeting the entire time.  The hectic day was rounded out by some well-deserved drinks at the Opera Bar, where Biennale staffers, artists, curators and all those involved with the Biennale (like interns!) enjoyed some champagne and time to mingle (and network I suspect!).  So awesome to be in the thick of it all!

Me and Danica Dakic