2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State Education Resource

Over 60 making and responding activities for students of all ages

This education resource highlights six artists who feature in 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State. It can be used as a starting point in the classroom for students to learn about Australian and contemporary art or as a companion to your Gallery visit.

Free/State assembles a group of artists who are fearless; the provocateurs, vanguards and outsiders – challenging histories and art forms, and in the process, offering reflections on an era of multi-faceted global upheaval. The exhibition explores ideas of transcending states, from the spiritual and artistic to the psychological, and embraces notions of freedom in expression, creation and collaboration.

Delivering new and unexpected visions of transformative personal and public moments, in mediums spanning photography, painting, sculpture, installation and the moving image, Free/State presents a multi-generational collective of artists hailing from every Australian state and territory.

These making and responding suggestions have been created as a starting point for teachers to develop units of work. The activities link to the key themes within the artists’ work and provide ideas that relate to the world of your students. The resource is linked to the Australian curriculum (Visual Arts and History) and addresses the cross curriculum priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture, and Sustainability and the general capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding and Literacy.

Hear about Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free State from Sebastian Goldspink, curator of the exhibition.

Explore the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State online with the virtual tour

installation view: 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State, featuring Casting shadows [Chandelier] and The Settlement [Shield] by Dennis Golding, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; photo: Saul Steed.

The Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art is the nation’s longest running exhibition of contemporary Australian art. How would you describe an Australian artist? Are they:

  • an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist.
  • an artist who was born in Australia but live and work elsewhere.
  • an artist born in Australia who has continued to live and work in Australia.
  • an artist who was born elsewhere but live and work in Australia.

Discuss with your class what it means to be an Australian artist.

Find out where all of the artists are from and live who are on display in 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art.

What is a Biennial?

Large-scale art exhibition that occurs every two years

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Check back here regularly for artist talks, videos and articles as they occur throughout the duration of the exhibition.

Artist and curator talks

  • Sebastian Goldspink introduces the 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State

  • Leigh Robb and Bernadette Klavins discuss works of art in the exhibition 'Free/State'

  • Elle Freak in conversation with 2022 Adelaide Biennial artist Tom Polo

  • Sebastian Goldspink discusses Julie Rrap's work

  • Tom Polo

  • Jelena Telelcki

  • Mitch Cairns

  • Abdul-Rahman Abdullah

  • Dean Cross

  • Dennis Golding

  • Sera Waters

  • Lisa Slade in conversation with artist Angela Valamanesh

  • James Tylor & Rebecca Selleck

  • Min Wong

  • Kate Scardifield

  • Kate Mitchell

  • Darren Sylvester

  • Reko Rennie

  • JD Reforma

These resources have been developed in two formats to allow for greater access for teachers. Below you can download PowerPoint versions of each artist. Ee recommend exploring the online versions also as these will have video and audio content embedded as the exhibition evolves, as well as a larger range of artist images and links to other relevant online resources.

Introduction
Dennis Golding
Tracey Moffatt
Laith McGregor
Angela and Hossein Valamanesh
Sera Waters

Dennis Golding

Reclaiming his Aboriginal history and identity through sharing his personal experiences and childhood memories.

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Tracey Moffatt

Image-maker and storyteller, using the tools of photography and film to construct theatrical scenes and open-ended stories.

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Laith McGregor

Inquiry into contemporary portraiture, notions of the self & the complexities of what it means to be human

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Angela & Hossein Valamanesh

Artists inspired by their spiritual connectedness to place

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Sera Waters

Embroideries and hand-crafted sculptures that dwell within the gaps of Australian histories to examine settler-colonial home-making patterns and practices

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The Gallery’s Learning programs are supported by the Department for Education.

This education resource has been developed and written in collaboration Dr. Belinda Howden, Kylie Neagle Education Coordinator, and Dr. Lisa Slade Assistant Director, Artistic Programs.