21st Biennale of Sydney Announces Title of the 2018 Exhibition and Additional Selection of Artists

Chia-Wei Hsu, Ruins of the Intelligence Bureau (still), 2015
Video installation, 13:30 minutes
Courtesy the artist and Liang Gallery, Taipei
Produced by Le Fresnoy

21st Biennale of Sydney
SUPERPOSITION: Art of Equilibrium and Engagement
March 16 – June 11, 2018
http://www.biennaleofsydney.com.au

Artistic Director of the 21st Biennale of Sydney Mami Kataoka has announced the title of the 2018 Biennale of Sydney is SUPERPOSITION: Art of Equilibrium and Engagement and shared the names of additional artists from Asia selected to present their works in the multi-venue event.

The 21st Biennale of Sydney title adopts the quantum mechanical term “superposition” which, in quantum theory, 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. The 21st edition will draw on this concept as a metaphor to link the notions of equilibrium and engagement and provide us with insights into 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, including the history of art and definitions of contemporary art.

Correspondingly, according to the theory of “Wuxing” 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, drawn from around the globe, have been chosen to offer a panoramic view of how opposing understandings and interpretations can come together in a state of equilibrium. It is Kataoka’s hope that their artworks will serve as a catalyst for thinking about these principles and concerns, and encourage each of us to consider our own position in society as a starting point.

The additional artists announced who will participate in the 21st Biennale of Sydney are: Julian Abraham “Togar” (Born 1987, Indonesia; lives/works in Medan, Indonesia) / Chen Shaoxiong (Born 1962, China, died 2016; Beijing, China) / Geng Xue (Born 1983, China; lives/works Beijing, China) / Tanya Goel (Born 1985, India; lives/works New Delhi, India) / Chia-Wei Hsu (Born 1983, Taiwan; lives/works Taipei, Taiwan) / Ami Inoue (Born 1991, Japan; lives/works Kyoto, Japan) / Sosa Joseph (Born 1971, India, lives/works Kochi, India) / Prabhavathi Meppayil (Born 1965, India; lives/works Bangalore, India) / Tomie Ohtake (Born 1913, Japan; died 2015 São Paulo, Brazil) / Tawatchai Puntusawasdi (Born 1971, Thailand; lives/works in Chiang Mai, Thailand) / Sa Sa Art Projects (founded 2010, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) / Svay Sareth (Born 1972, Cambodia; lives/works Siem Reap, Cambodia) / Akira Takayama (Born 1969, Japan, lives/works, Saitama, Japan) / Maria Taniguchi (Born 1981, Philippines; lives/works Manila, Philippines) / Su-Mei Tse (Born 1973, Luxemburg; lives/works Luxemburg) / Samson Young (Born 1979, Hong Kong; lives and works Hong Kong).

Jo-Anne Birnie-Danzker, Director and CEO of the Biennale of Sydney, noted that “Mami Kataoka is a distinguished curator whose vision for the Biennale’s 21st edition is both timely and prescient. It encourages us to consider how all things of this world interact with each other. The 2018 Biennale of Sydney SUPERPOSITION: Art of Equilibrium and Engagement promises to be an inspiring and important means for us to contemplate our place in the world.”