Biennale! Bee-n-olly. Or, as I can only remember it – Beabolly, Banomamolly, or Bananamaalla. Or, big ass art fair spanning across Sydney that happens every two years.

It’s a huge to-do, with events happening at different venues all over the city. Since I successfully missed Sculpture by the Sea each year that I’ve been here, I was hoping I’d make it to at least one venue for Biennale. And yesterday, we met up with our friends Kat and Matt for a tour of Cockatoo Island (two birds/one stone, it’s also my goal to visit all the “animal” islands around Sydney – there’s also Goat Island and Shark Island, and I will visit them.)

Among other things, Cockatoo Island was a holding area for prisoners in the 1800’s, and then a pretty major shipbuilding and dockyard facility, until 2001 when it was closed down and most of it demolished. But now it’s a heritage site, and most of its buildings have been re-opened as museums of Sydney’s industrial history.

We left the house prepared for rain, as the weather report suggested. However, 10 minutes before we got on the ferry, the rain let out, and the brightest sun came out and stayed out. Needless to say, we are both sunburned now.

Mostly the installations left me kinda meh, and I found myself more interested in the buildings and the machinery that’s been left behind than the actual installations (sometimes I am 100% my father’s daughter). But we had a really good time being out and about, seeing some amazing drawings and mind blowing texture work, some really off the wall pretentious video installations, and listening to self-important people explain art to the people they were with. Here you go, enjoy a smattering of photos!

“Excuse me I have reserved this table.”

The spider web continued all the way through a three room convict house. It was incredible.

Messages of hope.

Chinese Sci-fi evolution

This was the best one – white beds behind insane layers of string – it was like walking through a Neil Gaiman novel.

I want to live in an old warehouse. One with air conditioning, of course.

creepy old tunnel

patch dyed leather

They used house convicts in this building – they were lowered into the building through trap doors, and chained to the walls.

Joel loves posed photos.

So much old machinery and engine bits

Sydney!

Convict history

Old dock

Signs said “Don’t walk on the runway.” Therefore, the runway was covered in sole marks.

Old shipping dock bits

Sunset on the ferry home

I’ll be off putting aloe on my sizzled forehead.

xox