The Bunbury Biennale is BRAG’s major contemporary art event with an acquisitive component. It was initiated in 1993 with the aim to acquire new works from the Biennale to expand and diversify the City of Bunbury Art Collection. Since its inception, the Biennale has been an open platform for artists to present the latest trends in cutting edge contemporary art, pushing boundaries, exploring challenging concepts, and stretching limits.
Originally curated via an open expression of interest strategy, this year’s Bunbury Biennale has refreshed its format to become driven by a thematic concept. It is now, in a first, presented as a cluster of exhibitions including:
• A Cultural Ecology – a cohesive survey of 27 selected West Australian artists responding to the theme Culture/Nature and the delicate status of our current environment. Displayed at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery.
• Enmeshment – a curated show of artists working with(in) the environment, including seminal performances by artists such as Allan Kaprow and Stelarc, and recent drawings by the prominent Western Australian artist Erin Coates. Displayed at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery.
• It Woke the Town Up – an independent curatorial project about the 1976 bombing of the woodchip terminal in Bunbury, presented at the Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre from 2 April to 25 May as part of the Biennale program, and
• Biennale Revisited – an exhibition highlighting artworks acquired from past Bunbury Biennales in response to the theme Culture/Nature. Displayed at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery.
Accompanying the Bunbury Biennale is an exciting public program of free and ticketed events. These events provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with the exhibition in new ways and learn from the artists themselves. From hands on workshops, artist talks and opening events, find out more and can download the program from brag.org.au
Bunbury Biennale will be on show at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) from 1 April to 5 June 2023.
The gallery is open Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Entry is always free.
