South by southeast: the 14th Sydney Biennale avoided many of the excesses typical of international art festivals by showing fewer artists and newer, often specially commissioned works

Art in America, Dec, 2004 by Lilly Wei

Sydney and its Biennale, relatively remote from European and North American art capitals, should find itself re-evaluating its geography. Once considered marginalized, it is now ideally situated at a newly vibrant international crossroad, the Pacific nexus, where strong, cross-pollinated regional talent may be the future. The recently announced artistic director for the next Biennale of Sydney Charles Merewether's reportedly already there.

The Biennale of Sydney [June 4-Aug. 15] was on view at multiple locations in Sydney, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Artspace, the Museum of Sydney, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Sydney. Opera House.

Lilly Wei is a New York-based writer and independent curator.