Introducing ‘Not Evenly Distributed’

by Stephanie Rosenthal, Artistic Director, 20th Biennale of Sydney (2016)

The title of the 20th Biennale of Sydney is The future is already here — it’s just not evenly distributed. Inspired by a comment made by leading science fiction author, William Gibson, it serves as an investigatory framework. The phrase reminds us that access to information, the Internet, and other more basic resources is by no means universal; many people are denied the opportunity to benefit from (or participate in) these new spaces where information can be exchanged. The conditions of uneven distribution are not inevitable, however; they are largely the result of historical and current geopolitics and economic power structures. As we have seen with the influx of political refugees, not just into Australia, but internationally and notably in Europe, one consequence of this uneven distribution is social upheaval on a scale unprecedented in recent world history.

Hosting texts, images and video, this blog seeks to focus on the second part of this phrase, ‘just not evenly distributed’, extending the project beyond the exhibition and the catalogue. Continuing the idea of a process-led, artist-centric Biennale, which is developing over time, this project will be published for eight weeks, and will conclude on 30 June 2016.

This project has been realised with assistance from UNSW Art & Design.