An interim report
At this time it is rather difficult to report upon the state of the Biennale of Sydney. As a consequence of certain conflicts within its corporate structure-now partly resolved-and of the delicate business of the preparations for the eighth exhibi tion year, those involved with the Biennale are understandably reluctant to comment at this stage. By late 1989, however, it should be possible to present a more detailed report.
For the moment, it is possible to report upon the state of affairs to date.
The Biennale is something of a double entity: it is a contemporary art event and a company.
Begun in 1973, the Biennale of Sydney is unique as a contemporary Australian and international art event: both in its scope and its success. it has been sufficiently unique, locally and internationally, for other countries to observe its operations as a model for artistic events of this kind.
As a corporate entity, the Biennale has a precarious existence, since it is a company which exists for the sole function of mounting the art event. Further, it has developed out of the initial private company, established by current Chairman Franco Belgiorno-Nettis of Transfield, into some sort of public company through the emendation of its Articles. Recently, the exact status of the Biennale as a public company has been the subject of conflict.
The Biennale has evolved, over its sixteen years, into a company with public membership, and with a degree of the associated public access to its board of directors. Over that sixteen years, the increasing success and consequent increasing scope of the Biennale has led to an increased reliance upon government support, in addition to its corporate and individual... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline