John Gerrard
23rd Biennale of Sydney, Australia
8 March – 13 June 2022
Under the artistic direction of curator José Roca, the 23rd Biennale of Sydney will address the heightened global awareness of environmental issues. Following a series of meetings with artists arranged by Phileas, John Gerrard has been invited to present Leaf Work as an outdoor installation on Barangaroo Island. Shown as a monumental LED wall, Gerrard presents a single female figure, remade virtually and clothed from head to foot in spring leaves. She walks across a barren landscape in a simple circle, a choreography based on the position of the sun, Her movement is a form of lament, recalling the flows of energy that power human advances and animate our landscapes and societies, but which also cause severe environmental stress.
John Gerrard (born 1974, Ireland) is a Vienna-based artist known for his virtual sculptures, which take the form of digital simulations made using real-time computer graphics. His work has been exhibited at institutions including LACMA, Los Angeles; Tate Britain, London; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Gerrard has also participated in several biennials including the 11th Shanghai Biennale, 53rd Venice Biennale and Manifesta 12, Palermo.
This will be the third consecutive collaboration between Phileas and the Biennale of Sydney following the participations by Martin Walde, Jun Yang and Katarina Matiasek.
