The Ten Best Things to See and Do at Art Month Sydney 2014

This March is not short of art, that much is for sure. With the 19th Biennale of Sydney and fringe event SafARI both kicking off in March, you'd be forgiven for thinking your slate was full. But your slate is not full.

Under the directorship of Scrap Wall, Art Month Sydney is back for a fifth year of opening up Sydney's private gallery spaces. It's a program brimming with interdisciplinary questions and collaborations, grouped around the theme 'Intersections and Parallels'. With a few meaty slices from a handful of Sydney's most envious private collections, it's also about divulging secrets and providing some hot tips for all you aspiring collectors out there.

With over 200 galleries throwing their doors open, it's one of the most accessible art events of the year, jam-packed with parties, tours and talks.

Art on the Runway: Is contemporary art driven by fashion?

The malleable boundary between the gallery and the world is a hot topic for discussion at this year's Art Month. As we're seeing increasingly innovative examples of fashion photography and design, the intersection between art and fashion is becoming more and more visible. So does art inspire fashion, or does fashion inspire art? Presented in collaboration with Harper's BAZAAR, this style-savvy panel of creators and commentators features photographer Derek Henderson, world-roaming journalist and author Mitchell Oakley Smith, writer and curator Alison Kubler, artist Técha Noble and stylist Tiana Wallace. Their discussion will offer up a variety of artistic, curatorial and media-driven perspectives.

March 7, 6-8pm at Carriageworks. Free but booking required.

Art at Work: Unexpected Corporate Collections

Wouldn't being surrounded by art all day, every day, totally enhance your productivity? Well, it turns out the white collar workplace isn't as bland as you might think. With this one-off tour, Art Month offers you the opportunity to take a peek inside some of the most comprehensive corporate art collections in Sydney. Kicking off at boutique real estate agency Bresic Whitney, this sneaky adventure will explore the extraordinary cultural pursuits of collectors you weren't even aware of. I'm sure these companies paid a pretty penny for their masterpieces, but for you? It's free! However, it's a good idea to register your interest online as it's not really something you can come back to later.

March 8, 2-5pm. Meet at Bresic Whitney Darlinghurst. Free but booking required.

Art at Night

A returning favourite is the after-dark series Art at Night. Enjoy a twilit evening of gallery hopping before heading to the precinct's official ArtBar for some tunes, chatter and drinks. This year the participating precincts are East Sydney/Darlinghurst, Paddington/Woollahra and Chippendale/Redfern. If you've ever felt intimidated by exhibition openings where everyone seems to know each other and be talking about 'relational aesthetics', Art at Night offers an atmosphere of fun and non-exclusivity. With the doors of Sydney's galleries wide open, it's the perfect opportunity to grab some mates and quench your culture thirst with a local art adventure. If you pop along to the East Sydney night, there's a slew of topnotch exhibitions to fill your evening. From cheeky modern-day merkins at He Made She Made to David Kurzydlo's hauntingly angelic portraits at Platform72 and the painterly poetics of Tonee Messiah at Gallery 9, there's stacks to see before making your way to the main hub at the National Art School.

March 6, 13 and 21, 6-10pm. Free.

Buy Art Tour: My First Time

Wondering how to kickstart that multimillion dollar art collection? Among the range of 'Buy Art' tours is one for trepidatious first-time art buyers, where you can get the inside scoop on Sydney's emerging artists and learn the 'art' of investing in art. Visitors will be led around some of Chippendale's leading galleries and artist-run spaces, such as Galerie pompom, NG Art Gallery and Mclemoi Gallery. It's a great opportunity to seek out some advice from collectors, get a glimpse of what's out there and perhaps even snag a work by the next Damien Hirst. You may not be intending to rival the likes of Charles Saatchi, but every art collection, large or small, starts somewhere.

March 15, 2-5pm at MOP Projects. Free but booking required.

Drawing the Line: Does street art have a place in the gallery?

What happens when street art enters the gallery space? Does institutionalising it take away a sense of authenticity, or enhance it? With its surge in popularity amongst collectors and the public, we might ask what the future is for street art. The idea of labelling or 'boxing' a peripheral counterculture is an interesting one. But then, one might speculate that street art doesn't give quite enough back to its humble practitioners. After all, even these enigmatic antiheroes have to pay the bills. This discussion will host a vast spectrum of positions on street art's place in the gallery, featuring established artists Anthony Lister, Beastman, Askew One and Scott Marsh as well as gallery director Tim Olsen. The hybridity of 'high art' and graffiti culture should generate some thought-provoking conversation.

March 1, 3-5pm at McLemoi Gallery. Free but booking required.

Art Month Presents Collector's Space

This exciting event brands itself as a "hidden urban space filled with museum quality artworks never seen together in public before… or ever again." And true to form, the unique exhibition features a selection of treasured works from the most impressive private collections in Sydney. As much as it is an unlikely collection of art, it's also a collection of personal journeys. Pop along and you'll get a glimpse of the contemporary palette of dynamic art world duo Lisa Havilah and Glenn Barkley. There's also Anonymous, an arts professional and industry insider with an eye for upcoming Australian artists, as well as James Roland and Becky Sparks with their commitment to supporting younger emerging artists.

March 5-23 at the pop-up Collector's Space at 101 William Street, Darlinghurst. Free.

In Situ: Intersections between contemporary art and architecture

The patterning of how people live and move through the world boils down to an intersection between art, architecture and urban design. This multidisciplinary arrangement is the bedrock of the modern metropolis. Shedding light on these ideas is Richard Goodwin, a prolific artist and architect whose research examines the 'parasitic' connections between public and private spaces. He is joined by building designer Phillip Arnold and multidisciplinary designer Tomek Archer. As proponents of conceptual architecture, the theoretical exercises of these panelists will provide insights into how we interact with the world and the texture of our daily routines.

March 4, 6-8pm at the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Free but booking required.

The Future Primitive Launch

Who doesn't love a good rooftop? Even better perhaps is an art party on a rooftop. The Future Primitive sculptors, Dion Horstmans and Sam Mitchell-Fin, are fusing together light, shadow and geometry in this intriguing and expansive installation. Mobile cocktail service Trolley'd is watering the event with their organic and locally sourced concoctions. In addition, Sydney producer DJ ROOF is dishing up some shiny smooth beats to perk up the atmosphere. Bear in mind, this launch is the same night as the Paddington/Woollahra precinct party, so you may have to juggle art events. Other killer openings during Art Month will include White Rabbit Gallery's Reformation Party (though get to that one early).

March 13, 6-8pm at Gallery 2010. Free.

Art Cycle Tours

Like to combine your culture and your exercise? Well, you're in luck, because there's a swag of Art Cycle tours, back by popular demand. Delve deeper into the inner west and explore the buzzing, underrated spaces of Marrickville and Leichhardt. Or work your way up the main artery of Bourke Street and tick off the city's cross-section of contemporary art. Performance art fans should jump on the SafARI Art Cycle, which will take in the festival's key performance works. There's no need for lycra; it's all about exploring new 'hoods via bike-friendly routes.

March 1-23 at various locations. Free but booking required.

Quadrangle Rooftop Market

Introducing a special Art Month edition of Quadrangle Rooftop Market, a Surry Hills summer favourite. Expect some serious noms, classy thirst-quenchers and goods from the neighbourhood's designers and artisans. A gathering of Sydney's finest local innovators and an inimitable view of the city's skyline sounds like a pretty damn good Saturday afternoon. This is the encore you'll be craving after the Future Primitive opening, with a touch more sun and a touch less neon.

March 15, noon-4pm at Gallery 2010. Free.

Art Month Sydney runs from March 1-23 at venues all over Sydney. Check out their website for the full program.

By the Concrete Playground team.