Opinion: Biennale of Sydney for Collectors and Investors

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Just because the 2008 Sydney Biennale is a non-commercial show (meaning that the works are not for sale) doesn't mean that the biennale isn't a great opportunity for investors and collectors to scout out new talent, because it definitely is. In fact I would consider a non-commercial event such as the 2008 Sydney Biennale to be an even better opportunity for investors and collectors than many of the commercial art fairs primarily because of the fact that many of the artist's whose work is sold at commercial art fairs have already been "recruited" by dealers whereas non-commercial art events such as the 2008 Sydney Biennale include artists whose work may not have been discovered by the art market as yet.

If you can't make it to the Sydney Biennale, which is taking place until the 7th of September 2008, then you are in luck because this year's Sydney Biennale website is absolutely fantastic and jam packed with information. Before you begin any serious analysis of artists and artworks you should purchase the biennale catalogue through the website because it is an extremely informative, interesting and high quality publication that should be in the book shelf of every serious art investor and collector. To order your copy of the 2008 Sydney Biennale catalogue go to the link below and fill out the interactive order form which can be submitted via email.
Biennale Catalogue Order Form: bos2008.form.pdf

Once you have secured your copy of the catalogue you can then begin checking out all the artists who are taking part in the Sydney Biennale by clicking on this link: biennale/artist and selecting the artist's you wish to view from the menu on the left hand side of the website. You should also check out the exciting online venue that includes projects by participating artists based on the exhibition theme: Revolutions – Forms That Turn and can be found here: bos2008.com/revolutionsonline

According to the Biennale website "More than 70 living artists have created new works especially for this publication, amongst them: Christoph Büchel; Gerard Byrne; Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller; Jeremy Deller; Mark Dion; Willie Doherty; Sam Durant; Liam Gillick; Shaun Gladwell; Pierre Huyghe; Joan Jonas; Brian Jungen; Jannis Kounellis; Tracey Moffatt; Reinhard Mucha; Giuseppe Penone; Dan Perjovschi; Nedko Solakov; and Lawrence Weiner" so if you can't find something to interest you then you aren't looking hard enough.

To keep up to date with my thoughts on the biennale check out the official 2008 Sydney Biennale Blog here: blog.bos2008.com

Image: Gordon Bennett
Settler and Shadow Reflection, 1993
Photograph: John O’Brien

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications