Although the theme of the 9th Biennale of Sydney was The Boundary Rider there were quite a few examples of artists whose time at the boundary is now purely historical. Artists who are so much a part of the superstar mainstream that to call them boundary riders seems a little overstated. It was, however, refreshing to see fewer New Yorkers than has been the case in past years. On the other hand the superstars still appeared to rule the roost. Haim Steinbach in particular was placed centre stage and he is hardly marginal. For some reason the stylistically similar, but less repetitive, Ashley Bickerton was relegated to the Bond Store. But even Bickerton is too mainstream to be considered a boundary rider'. Truly marginal New York artists such as David Wojnarowicz, Karen Finlay, or (Piss Christ) Serrano would have been eminently more appropriate, aesthetically challenging, and interesting. One can also mention other mainstreamers masquerading as boundary riders such as Jiri Georg Dokoupil or Walter Dahn. The former's contribution in particular was banal in the extreme. Another big name contributing little works was Martin Kippenberger. I would suggest that if in future such major artists send such minor work then it should be shipped back to them, or at least put somewhere out of the way, instead of being given centre stage. Why not just get them to sign the wall?
The attempt to include 'third world' art and more politically motivated indigenous Australian art was, in my opinion, a brave gesture but one which ultimately failed. The mixing of such art with 'first world' aesthetic objects was probably conceived as a typically boundary rider-ish thing to do, but... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline