The Sydney art scene has its heavyweights and flyweights but, until very recently, wasn’t much known for punching above weight. There’s a lot of inherent pressure for alpha cities to stay ahead of the culture curve and, for the most part, that pressure is welcome and deserved. But for the capital of New South Wales the spotlight can be especially intense.
Upstart Melbourne is always nipping at Sydney’s heels, for one, and the metropolis of close to 5 million people is not just the face of a country but a continent - and, in some respects, an entire hemisphere.
The good news for Sydneysiders keen to showcase their city’s accomplishments is that there’s been little to be ashamed of on the culture front, and particularly the contemporary art scene, of late. Gallery crawls are a thriving sector of the erudite tourism sector and while not quite on the same level as gastro crawls - food is the ultimate unifier, it seems, with Sydney no exception - the city’s art scene has more and more people plugging “5 star hotels Sydney” into their search engines.
Art Month Sydney
Like ARTWALK and White Night Melbourne, Art Month Sydney is a newcomer to Australia’s national arts calendar that looks suspiciously like a play to capitalise on juggernauts like Art Basel. Art Month leans more populist but this kind of aspiration is a force for good. Held every March, Art Month is just that - a 30 day not-for-profit festival that “celebrates the vibrancy and diversity of contemporary art in Sydney by throwing open the gallery doors and presenting over 200 exhibitions and events.” http://www.artmonthsydney.com/
Sydney Art Tours
If you can’t make it to Sydney in March (and, frankly, even if you can) the professionals at Sydney Art Tours who conduct bespoke visits to major galleries, commercial spaces, artist-run initiatives and artists' studios are curators of the highest order. The bonus is that you’re walking the entire time - and throughout some of the loveliest parts of the city to boot. http://www.sydneyarttours.com.au/
Brad Eastman aka Beastman
He’s broken the notion of what it means to be a street artist but Beastman’s prolificacy with aerosol art has earned him admirers from Hong Kong to Hamburg. The native Sydneysider creates intricate murals and paintings that are dizzying in detail. You can spot his work in The Tate gallery in Glebe or in the backstreets of Darlinghurst. http://www.beastman.com.au/
Biennale of Sydney
If one event represents Sydney’s contemporary art bona fides, it is Biennale. The non-profit is Australia’s bellwether contemporary visual arts festival. Held every two years, the three-month exhibition was the inaugural biennale in Asia-Pacific and is now just a tier behind the Venice Biennale and documenta, in Kassel, Germany. It is typical for the event to showcase the work of well over 1,500 artists from all over the world. Best of all, the entire program is free to the public.
About the Author:
During his recent visit to Sydney, Stuart gained a valuable insight into the activities for people that enjoy the Arts and hopes to share this information with future travellers.
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