Cockatoo Island, like a number of other harbour islands doesn't feature very prominently on anybody's radar. In fact, in all the years we've lived in Sydney we'd never set foot on it - until last week, when the Sydney Biennale organisers invited the public over. Free ferry crossing and free art exhibition on this sprawling 18 hectare heritage dockyard.
Quite an ingenious idea to mix the two. We discovered that quite a lot took place on the island; from convict gaol to girls' school to shipbuilding yard and even for a spell, aircraft manufacturing. You can well imagine the cavernous spaces left behind.
Workshops, slipways, tunnels, tiers of offices and mess rooms and even old lavatory blocks with the most shocking graffiti. Artists of another kind who would have clocked-out for the last time somewhere in the seventies.
Nick found so much to photograph. He loved it all, and couldn't get enough of the rusty relics. As for the art itself, we especially liked the massive line of portraits and the spinning video installation.
Some of the video clips were extremely graphic and I skipped any that said 'adults only'. All in all, a lot of thought provoking commentary in a very interesting setting.
I didn't mention the views, but needless to say, they were spectacular, even from the 'other' side of the bridge. We plan to go again and take our overseas visitors there.
F
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