Exhibition: 2014 Adelaide Biennial

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Exhibition: 2014 Adelaide Biennial

The Adelaide Biennial has the longest history (26 years) of survey for contemporary art in Australia. It was established in 1990 after being initiated by the director of Art Gallery known as Daniel Thomas in South Australia. The 2014 Adelaide Biennial demonstrated the Art Gallery of South Australia by adopting an expansive vision, risk taking, and the desire to inform and educate the general public concerning all matters of contemporary Australian art (Museums Association, 1996). The Adelaide Biennial has a great and unswerving commitment to offering an Art Gallery to individuals through expansive involvement of all stakeholders in Australia. The works strived to display the best and relevant contemporary work in context of Art Gallery in Australia. They also engaged with the whole world in promoting their activities and at the same time borrowing from other nations the necessary art work that would be beneficial to the Australian citizens. Adelaide Biennial was a very modern event that was timely, unique, and forward thinking thereby giving it the ability to express dominant and current concerns over the existing art work (In Fexeus, In Ehmann, & In Klanten, (2013).

The 2014 Adelaide Biennial was an event that tapped into the minds and the hearts of the whole nation since it probed political, psychological, and personal dimensions of contemporary Australia. It made use of contemporary artists to explore the cultural identity of Australia and make Australia stand out across the world in terms of its operations in the works of art. According to Constantopoulos & Wang (2010), this was made possible through the presentation of over twenty eight Artists from Australia and also other individuals who offered a variety of collective presentations. The presentations included were brave and visionary and included painting, photography, installation, sculpture, and moving images. Among the important ideas and issues that were addressed by the artists encompasses Australia’s ecological fate, intercultural relationships, political, power, and gender (Constantopoulos & Wang, 2010). The curators played a very critical role in making the event a success and of course fruitful. One of the curators known as Nick Mitzevich, who was also the Director of South Australian Art Gallery, said that his major concern was on assembling an exhibition that would connect with the viewers and offer a moving experience to all the participants.

The Art Gallery is located at a very strategic and accessible point between the University of Australia and the South Australian Museum. This made it possible for everybody wishing to have an experience of the Australian culture to visit at any time since the admission is also very free on a daily basis from 10am-5pm. It is located in a place that is well serviced with public transport such as trains and buses. For example, Adelaide railway station is closely located to the Art Gallery; just a five minutes walk. The Adelaide buses also offer free services and free travels across the city; passing through key sites such as the Art Gallery (Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions, 1994). On the other hand, there is also an expansive parking lot at the Wilson car park for individuals who wish to drive themselves into the Art Gallery. The event offers an overnight accommodation and well served breakfast at the Riverside restaurant for the visitors. It also offers holiday services that include two nights of accommodation, an exhibition of accommodation, return economy airfares, and a voucher that would give the visitors the opportunity to dine at the exclusive Australian Art Gallery (Layne, 2014). The event takes all people into consideration including the physically challenged individuals because upon visiting the Art Gallery, there is a pram access and wheelchairs that are located in all the places in the Art Gallery. The services and treatments are offered by very friendly staff that would be willing to offer any required assistance (Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions, 1994). Visitors did not fear carrying heavy luggage into the Art Gallery because there were very spacious cloakrooms at the information desk where luggage such as large bags and umbrellas could be kept. For the visitors who wished to board, there were very modern and exclusive male and female amenities offered at lower ground and upper ground floors and also the baby change facilities for those who have young babies.

Adelaide Biennial event has opened up Gallery shops where its publications, gifts, and cards inspired by the exhibition can be purchased. The 2014 Adelaide Biennial publications majorly features the art work, purpose for the exhibition, and a number of insightful essays that majorly talk about the Australian culture ( Klanten & Sinofzik, 2013). The publications are available at affordable prices and the shops are open on a daily basis from 10am to 4.45pmpm. It has a very exclusive restaurant that offers an inspired menu for lunch and breakfast, plus cold drinks, coffee, and sweet treats throughout the day. This gave the visitors a conducive environment to relax and have fun as they celebrate the Australian culture. Adelaide Biennial also organized a very successful festival between 28 February and 16 March, which gave the audience an opportunity to celebrate an outstanding mix of international theater productions. The festival also involved a series of entertaining performances from world class musicians, renowned writers, breathtaking dance pieces, and striking visual art displays (Klanten, & Sinofzik, 2013). The epic performances at the festival brought great fun and enjoyment for the people who were interested in celebrating the Australian culture. There is also the Economic Botany Santos Museum, which is a globally renowned colonial museum. The museum gives people the opportunity to celebrate the value that is brought by the botanical world to the society and the significance of plants in people’s lives. The museum was opened on a daily basis in April and a variety of art works such as that of Caroline Rothwell were on display. Adelaide Biennial has expert Gallery Guides who offer a private guided tour to individuals or people who wish to tour in a group at any time of the day.

The two curators were a major pillar in the success of the events since they strived to promote an immersive and emotional exhibition that explored the underbelly of Australian contemporary culture. Nick Mitzevich was appointed in May 2013 to become the Adelaide Biennial 2014 curator and he was initially the Director of Queensland University. He was recognized for his peculiar achievements and even received Gallery Services Queensland and Museum Outstanding Achievement Award in 2009. Nick Mitzevich has notably curated at national and international exhibitions. This has given him the opportunity to gain extensive experience and the knowledge to manage and direct public galleries while at the same time be able to understand the practices of contemporary Art Gallery (Klanten & Sinofzik, 2013).

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