3rd Bankstown Biennale: Same Same/Different
23 November 2024 - 1 February 2025 | Same Same/Different featuring the latest works from 17 prominent First Nations artists and artists from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds reaching for common grounds.
Bankstown Arts Centre is proud to present our next major exhibition - the 3rd Bankstown Biennale: Same Same/Different featuring the latest works from 17 prominent First Nations artists and artists from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds reaching for common grounds.
Featuring
Karla Dickens . Jamie Eastwood . Maddison Gibbs . Edwina Green . Morgan Hogg . Gillian Kayrooz . Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler . Gary Lee . Ruth Ju-Shih Li . Jazz Money . Claudia Nicholson . Joan Ross . Salllvage . Kien Situ . James Tylor . Dung-Chuan Wen . Jason Wing
Bankstown Biennale returns for another thought provoking edition led by a First Nations and CaLD curatorium. Helmed by Coby Edgar, Jason Wing and Rachael Kiang, this iteration proposes equitable multiculturalism – enabling cultural connections that resist universalism. Same Same/Different underscores meaningful connections without erasing the distinct qualities of individual experiences. Instead of othering through assimilation or rejection, the title places an emphasis on shared understanding. The premise of respectful co-existence is underpinned by First Nations' worldviews of interconnectedness.
Accompanied by a suite of public programs and workshops, Bankstown Biennale joins the Sydney Festival lineup in January 2025.
This project is funded by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
Explore artist bios and artist statements
About the Co-Curators
Coby Edgar is a Larrakia, Jingili, Wardaman, Filipino, Chinese, Irish and Scottish woman who strongly identifies with her Larrakia heritage as it is the place where she grew and continues to return to. An independent curator, writer and presenter, Coby is interested in the many multi-racial stories that were here pre-colonisation and the stories we tell ourselves about this Country since colonisation. Coby was previously the curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at Art Gallery of NSW and curator of Strategic Projects First Nations at Powerhouse Museum.
Jason Wing is an Aboriginal/Chinese artist from the Western Sydney suburb of Blacktown. Wing’s father is Chinese (Cantonese) and his mother is a descendant of the Biripi people in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sydney’s College of Fine Arts in 1998, Wing has steadily emerged in the Sydney and national art scene as a versatile artist who explores issues of bi-cultural and Indigenous political identity, environmental awareness and spirituality with a street-wise flair and strong commitment to community engagement.
Rachael Kiang is a curator, cultural leader and advocate of diverse experimental arts practice for social impact. Her curatorial practice is informed by transdisciplinary thinking, transcultural approaches and methodologies that generate engaging experiences. Rachael was previously Interim CEO of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, manager and curator of Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios, and program manager and producer of the inaugural edition of The Big Anxiety Festival. She holds an MA in Curatorship and Modern Art from the University of Sydney and an MA in English Studies (Cultural and Media Studies) from the National University of Singapore.
Coby Edgar is a Larrakia, Jingili, Wardaman, Filipino, Chinese, Irish and Scottish woman who strongly identifies with her Larrakia heritage as it is the place where she grew and continues to return to. An independent curator, writer and presenter, Coby is interested in the many multi-racial stories that were here pre-colonisation and the stories we tell ourselves about this Country since colonisation. Coby was previously the curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at Art Gallery of NSW and curator of Strategic Projects First Nations at Powerhouse Museum.
Jason Wing is an Aboriginal/Chinese artist from the Western Sydney suburb of Blacktown. Wing’s father is Chinese (Cantonese) and his mother is a descendant of the Biripi people in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sydney’s College of Fine Arts in 1998, Wing has steadily emerged in the Sydney and national art scene as a versatile artist who explores issues of bi-cultural and Indigenous political identity, environmental awareness and spirituality with a street-wise flair and strong commitment to community engagement.
Rachael Kiang is a curator, cultural leader and advocate of diverse experimental arts practice for social impact. Her curatorial practice is informed by transdisciplinary thinking, transcultural approaches and methodologies that generate engaging experiences. Rachael was previously Interim CEO of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, manager and curator of Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios, and program manager and producer of the inaugural edition of The Big Anxiety Festival. She holds an MA in Curatorship and Modern Art from the University of Sydney and an MA in English Studies (Cultural and Media Studies) from the National University of Singapore.
Read reviews of the exhibition
Public Programs
Join us for a series of diverse workshops, performances and conversations as part of the 3rd Bankstown Biennale. From December through 1 February 2025, there's something for anyone and everyone.
Weaving Patches with Sammi Snedden
Jamie Eastwood and Tarni Eastwood: Storytelling Workshop
Bankstown Biennale Closing Performance and Artist Panel
Bankstown Biennale x Sydney Festival
Events in collaboration with Sydney Festival
Through the Eyes of a Local Artist: Tour by Glenn Locklee
Raffia Cook Islands Costume Making with Morgan Hogg and Benny Akuila
Art Up Late: Stories to Call Down the Light
Weaving Circle with Tarni Eastwood
Art Up Late: Lunar New Year Artist Market
From the Palm Of: A Roundtable on Food as a Cultural and Community Catalyst