The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Australia’s pre-eminent national award for small sculpture presented by Woollahra Council, has announced three new guest judges for 2017 along with an increased prize pool of $24,000. A free exhibition of finalist works for the 17th annual Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize will be presented from 14 October until 5 November 2017 at the historic Woollahra Council Chambers in Double Bay, Sydney.

The 2017 Prize sees the first Indigenous judge for the Prize with curator, writer, artist and activist Djon Mundine, OAM, along with Alexie Glass-Kantor, Executive Director, Artspace, Sydney and Curator, Encounters, Art Basel | Hong Kong, and gallerist and benefactor Roslyn Oxley, OAM.

Last night, the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian officially launched The Sydney Culture Essays, published by the Committee of Sydney.

The series of essays capture the thinking of some of the leading voices in Sydney’s cultural life, including Carriageworks Director, Lisa Havilah.

The pieces are intended to tease out the ‘debates and conversations shaping Sydney’s cultural landscape, navigating the role of culture for Sydneysiders and communicating our identity and potential to the world.’

This project came about out of the Committee for Sydney’s desire to understand, clarify and strengthen Sydney’s cultural identify and offer at a time of extraordinary transformation and growth. They believe that culture needs to play a fundamental role in this change and offer a powerful way of attracting tourists and global talent to Sydney.

Read more: http://sydneycultureessays.org.au/essays/the-making-of-a-modern-icon

Image: Tina Havelock Stevens, Thunderhead (2016)

Copyright Agency | Viscopy today announced the 12 finalists for the John Fries Award 2017. The award, curated by interdisciplinary artist, academic and curator, Consuelo Cavaniglia, is an annual $10,000 art award recognising the talents of early career visual artists from Australia and New Zealand. The award winner will be announced at the exhibition opening on 10 August 2017. Each finalist will present multiple works in the exhibition, open to the public at Sydney’s UNSW Galleries from 11 August – 2 September 2017.

Now in its eighth year, the annual award is a platform for some of the most engaging and experimental works from the next wave of contemporary artists in the region. The award was established by the Fries family in 2010 in memory of former Viscopy director and honorary treasurer, John Fries, who made a remarkable contribution to the life and success of the organisation.

The 2017 John Fries Award winner will be determined by a panel of guest judges: Consuelo Cavaniglia, Guest Curator of JFA 2017-2018; Melanie Oliver, Senior Curator and Programs Manager at The Dowse Art Museum, Wellington; Clothilde Bullen, Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at the Museum of Contemporary Art; Fiona Lowry, multi-award winning artist (Archibald Prize, Moran Prize, Fleurieu Landscape Prize); and Kath Fries, artist, Viscopy board member, Chair of the John Fries Award committee and daughter of the late John Fries.

Mami Kataoka, Artistic Director of the 21st Biennale of Sydney, today revealed the first group of 21 artists selected for the 21st edition of the Asia Pacific’s leading contemporary art event. With around 70 artists expected to be included in the 21st Biennale, this initial selection includes internationally renowned artists Ai Weiwei, Laurent Grasso, Haegue Yang and Eija-Liisa Ahtila, and provides insight into the themes of the 2018 edition.

Celebrating its 45th anniversary next year, the Biennale of Sydney will be presented over twelve weeks from Friday, 16 March until Monday, 11 June 2018 (Preview 13-15 March), at multiple locations throughout Sydney. It will feature major new commissions and recent work by contemporary artists from Australia and around the world. More info: bit.ly/21BoSartists

Lendlease have commissioned a major site-specific contemporary artwork by Australian artist Reko Rennie to be painted over buildings, hoardings and rooftops covering 1500 square-metres and planned for completion at Barangaroo in early May.

Titled As the Crow Flies, Rennie’s commanding work will be installed over an impressive 1,500 square-metre footprint. One of Australia’s most respected contemporary artists, Melbourne-based Rennie explores his Aboriginal Kamilaroi/Gamilaroi identity through his work, provoking discussion around Indigenous culture in contemporary urban environments.

The large-scale, three-colour installation, including bright cobalt blue and neon pink, will be painted vertically and horizontally on to the exteriors and interiors of building elements and hoardings in Barangaroo’s exciting new retail district between Towers One and Two of the iconic International Towers Sydney (ITS) and Hickson Road. As the Crow Flies will extend into the exit area of the main car park and be painted on rooftops making the pop-aesthetic inspired installation clearly visible from nearby office towers.