SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium and Engagement

SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium and Engagement
21st Bienniale of Sydney – curated by Mami Kataoka

The 21st Biennale of Sydney title borrows the quantum mechanical term ‘superposition’ to link the notions of equilibrium and engagement. In quantum theory, ‘superposition’ refers to the ability of electrons to occupy multiple states at once, to simultaneously take opposing paths and end up in different places. It is only with the application of measurement that matter is reduced to a single definition.

SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium and Engagement will examine the state of ‘superposition’ by examining how it might operate in the world today. We are surrounded by conflicting ideas across all levels of humanity: different cultures; readings of nature and the universe; political ideologies and systems of government; interpretations of human history, the history of art and definitions of contemporary art.

Correspondingly, according to the theory of ‘Wu Xing’ in ancient Chinese natural philosophy, everything in this world is comprised of five main elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each element gives rise to the next – either through a process of symbiosis, where one element encourages the formation of the others in a circulatory system, or a situation of mutual conflict and antagonism, in which each element resists and suppresses the others. In reality, diverse elements come together in a state of repeated collision, collapse and rebirth.

The participating artists in the 21st Biennale of Sydney have been chosen to offers a panoramic view of how opposing understandings and interpretations can come together in a state of ‘equilibrium.’ My hope is that their artworks will serve as a catalyst for thinking about these principles and concerns, taking one’s own position in society as a starting point.

Participants: Julian Abraham ‘Togar’, Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Ai Weiwei, Brook Andrew, Sydney Ball, Marc Bauer, Oliver Beer, Michaël Borremans, Miriam Cahn, Francisco Camacho Herrera, Chen Shaoxiong, Tiffany Chung, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Roy de Maistre, Marjolijn Dijkman, Lili Dujourie, Luciano Fabro, Marco Fusinato, Anya Gallaccio, Ryan Gander, Geng Xue Simryn, Gill Marlene Gilson, Tanya Goel, Laurent Grasso, N.S. Harsha, Hsu Chia-Wei, Ami Inoue, Mit Jai Inn, Sosa Joseph, Jacob Kirkegaard, Yvonne Koolmatrie, Suzanne Lacy, Tuomas Aleksander Laitinen, Liza Lou, Nicholas Mangan Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC) with Baloji and Renzo Martens, Prabhavathi Meppayil, Kate Newby, Trinh Thi Nguyen, Tom Nicholson, Noguchi Rika, Ciara Phillips, Tawatchai Puntusawasdi, Koji Ryui, Sa Sa Art Projects, Khaled Sabsabi, Semiconductor, Yasmin Smith, Dimitar Solakov, Michael Stevenson, Svay Sareth, Rayyane Tabet, Akira Takayama, Maria Taniguchi, Esme Timbery, George Tjungurrayi, Su-Mei Tse, Martin Walde, Roy Wiggan, Riet Wijnen, Nicole Wong, Wong Hoy Cheong, Yukinori Yanagi, Haegue Yang, Jun Yang, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, Samson Young, Biennale of Sydney Archive.

Locations:

Art Gallery of New South Wales
Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Sydney Ball, Oliver Beer, Miriam Cahn, Francisco Camacho Herrera, Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC) with Baloji and Renzo Martens, Roy de Maistre, Lili Dujourie, Luciano Fabro, Marlene Gilson, N.S. Harsha, Noguchi Rika, Sa Sa Art Projects, Semiconductor, Roy Wiggan, Riet Wijnen, Samson Young, Biennale of Sydney Archive

Artspace
Ai Weiwei, Michaël Borremans, Tiffany Chung, Geng Xue, Tanya Goel

Carriageworks
Chen Shaoxiong, Sam Falls, Marco Fusinato, Laurent Grasso, Trinh Thi Nguyen, Semiconductor, Michael Stevenson, George Tjungurrayi

Cockatoo Island
Julian Abraham “Togar”, Ai Weiwei, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Anya Gallaccio, Ryan Gander, Ami Inoue, Mit Jai Inn, Suzanne Lacy, Nicholas Mangan, Prabhavathi Meppayil, Kate Newby, Tawatchai Puntusawasdi, Koji Ryui, Khaled Sabsabi, Yasmin Smith, Dimitar Solakov, Su-Mei Tse, Martin Walde, Wong Hoy Cheong, Yanagi Yukinori

Museum of Contempary Art Australia
Brook Andrew, Marc Bauer, Marjolijn Dijkman, Simryn Gill, Hsu Chia-Wei, Sosa Joseph, Jacob Kirkegaard, Yvonne Koolmatrie, Tuomas, Aleksander Laitinen, Liza Lou, Tom Nicholson, Ciara Phillips, Svay Sareth, Maria Taniguchi, Esme Timbery, Nicole Wong, Haegue Yang, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists

Sydney Opera House
Oliver Beer, Rayyane Tabet

4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
Akira Takayama, Jun Yang