The Biennale of Sydney is Australia's largest and most exciting international visual arts event.

The Biennale of Sydney is held in Sydney's leading museums and galleries and is renowned for showcasing the freshest and most innovative contemporary art from Australia and around the world.

A program of tours, talks, film screenings and special events are held across the city, and most events are free!

The Biennale of Sydney was created in 1973 as an international showcase for contemporary art. Its aim was to develop and present a program that challenged traditional thinking and encouraged innovative, creative expression.

The event proved to be a natural fit with Sydney, reflecting the blend of experiment and enjoyment of innovation and energy that has always been a hallmark of Australia's largest city. From a small start, the Biennale quadrupled in size in less than a decade.

The Biennale of Sydney quickly achieved international recognition and today it ranks, as one of the leading international festivals of contemporary art and multimedia. The Biennale of Sydney is widely considered to be among the pre-eminent contemporary art events today.

In the 34 years from 1973 to 2007, the Biennale of Sydney has presented 15 critically acclaimed, popular and large-scale exhibitions - bringing the work of 1300 artists from more than 80 countries to Australia.

The Biennale of Sydney's history is one of "firsts" in promoting cultural exchange with Australia, championing free expression, new ideas and challenging the status quo.

Within its first decade of exhibitions (1973 - 1982) the Biennale of Sydney was among the first to celebrate Australia's cultural and ethnic diversity; the first to show indigenous art in an international contemporary art context; the first to focus on Asia and the contemporary art of our region. Its was among the first to present to wide audiences the art of the social change movements which transformed Australian society in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Mission Statement:

The Biennale of Sydney engages Australian and international audiences with bold and innovative contemporary art from around the world, challenges the status quo, promotes cultural exchange and inspires audiences to experience art, themselves and their world in new and creative ways.

The Biennale of Sydney is committed to international cultural exchange; increasing dialogue and mutual understanding; developing audiences for contemporary art; and increasing understanding and appreciation of the important role art plays in society.

Our charter is to provide fresh curatorial perspective and independent artistic vision, and to offer encounters with art and artists, as well as the programs and publications that underpin the exhibition. We also offer artists the opportunity to make new work in Sydney and to reach a broader audience.