Greg Johns Monument to Jandamarra. Installation view at the 9th Palmer Sculpture Biennial, 2022. Photograph by Michal Kluvanek.
Submissions are now open for the Palmer Sculpture Biennial, taking place for four weeks in March/April 2024.
Steven Cybulka and Craige Andrae Second Fix. Installation view at the 9th Palmer Sculpture Biennial, 2022.
Approximately 24 artists will be chosen to exhibit at the remote Palmer Hills, 76 kms east of Adelaide.
Curated by Adelaide sculptor Greg Johns and Robert Lindsay (former Director of McClelland Sculpure Park+Gallery), the Biennial aims to display the works of chosen artists alongside an invited senior artist and two early-career sculptors. Artists from across Australia and overseas are invited to submit.
Chris Ormerod Fullers Gate. Installation view at the 9th Palmer Sculpture Biennial, 2022.
In 2001, Greg Johns purchased this 400-acre property with the intention of ecologically rehabilitating the landscape and displaying his works and the work of other contemporary sculptors, a concept which soon evolved into the Palmer Sculpture Biennial.
Commencing in 2004, the Biennial now stands as one of the longest running and leading sculpture events in Australia, and is the recipient of several awards and accolades. It has received significant publicity at a national and international level, regularly attracting artists from Europe and the United States.
David Jensz Pebble 2020. Installation view at the 8th Palmer Sculpture Biennial, 2020.
“For those accustomed to exhibiting within the confines of gallery walls it can be an exhilarating and a challenging experience to exhibit at Palmer. The space is vast, the horizon far distant in this very Australian landscape. How to compete? To lie low and embrace the earth? Or to dramatically rear up and confront the space? Palmer has its unique challenges – and great rewards.”
– Ken Scarlett OAM
Stephen King Pipeline. Installation view at the 9th Palmer Sculpture Biennial, 2022.
“When it comes to art, Palmer is a hostile environment. Each work sited here has to rely on its own wits to grapple with such demanding terrain rather than lean on each other for visual support in more curated surroundings. Importantly, they all have room to breathe.”
– John Neylon
Union Street Sculptors Under Wraps. Installation view at the 9th Palmer Sculpture Biennial, 2022.
Submissions are due by Thursday 1 June, 2023.
Submissions can be emailed to palmersculpturebiennial@gmail.com. For more information regarding submissions, please contact Greg Johns or Bill Clifford via the Biennial’s website page.
David Atkins Dead Tree II, Reconciliation. Installation view at the 8th Palmer Sculpture Biennial, 2020.