Biennale of Australian Art

Overview

The largest-ever showcase of living Australian artists will casually drop by Ballarat this spring, with the inaugural Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA) in town from September 21 until November 6. It's big news for the small city, with the six-week event set to be a major drawcard for Ballarat and the surrounding region.

There'll be 150 artists coming from all reaches of Australia, making up 65 solo exhibitions, as the Biennale aims to have equal representation of artists from every state and territory. Taking place in over 14 different venues across Ballarat, its art points will certainly be amped up several notches by the array of visual arts and live music set to take over the town.

BOAA will reflect on what it means to be Australian and tell stories of our country's past, present and future. It's also a celebration of Australia's multiculturalism, with the event boasting a strong focus on Indigenous talent, art from the Numina sisters, Abdul Abdullah, Kim Anderson, David Jensz and Peggy Griffiths will be on display, among work from over a hundred others. Music-wise, the BOAA Band Wagon will be doing the rounds: a specially built music truck that'll provide the sound staging for the event's outdoor gigs at Lake Wendouree and St Andrews Grounds, as well as concerts held at Ballarat's other music venues.

In special events, there'll be a living sculpture fashion parade, an evening program called BOAA Dark — the Victorian version of Dark Mofo with bright lights and quirky performance art — and a lake sculpture walk that will see Lake Wendouree transform into an outdoor gallery featuring 26 sculptures. Free mini buses, bikes and rickshaws will transport attendees around the art path, pausing at pit stops providing food — from internationally acclaimed chef Gavin Draper, no less — as well as local beers and wines for your hungry, thirsty and very well-arted selves.

With the Biennale expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors, Ballarat looks set to be a pretty busy little place over the six weeks. Two-day or six-week (festival) passes are available at $25 and $100 respectively, so start planning your road trips.

Images: Asher Bilu, Heavens (2006-7); Louise Paramor, Palace of the Republic; Gerwyn Davies, Subtropics. 

For more spring places, spaces and events to discover in regional Victoria visit Your Happy Space.