Palmer Sculpture Biennial

Dear Sculptor,

You are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to participate in the 11^th Palmer Sculpture Biennial. The exhibition will be open for four weeks in March/April 2024. About twenty four artists will participate from South Australia, interstate and overseas,
including an invited senior artist and two emerging artists. It will be curated by myself and Robert Lindsay (former Director of McClelland Museum, Victoria).

We look forward to your submissions for the 2024 Palmer Sculpture Biennial.

Kind Regards,

Greg Johns.

“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    (Ken is a leading writer, curator, and authority on Australian sculpture.)

Excavator by Greg Johns, photo by James Mayfield

Expression Requirements

The requirement to express interest in the event is to submit a concept outline with supporting drawing/documentation on an A4 page/s after a visit to the site. Interstate/overseas artists should discuss alternatives to this requirement with Greg.  Times will be arranged for artists who haven’t already been to Palmer to visit in groups, and to register for this please contact us.

Submissions can be made by email to: palmersculpturebiennial@gmail.com  or by mail to Bill Clifford, 1 Elizabeth Street, Oakbank, South Australia 5243.

Please ensure that your expression of interest includes your name, postal address, email address and phone contact numbers. Expressions of Interest are required by Thursday 1^st June, 2023. We will advise participation as soon as practicable after then.

Images of previous works may be viewed in the following pages of this website. For further information, please contact Greg by email (gjoh4899@bigpond.net.au) or by phone (08) 8278 3273; or Bill by email (palmersculpturebiennial@gmail.com) or phone (08) 8398 0868.

What Interested Artists Need to Know about the Palmer Landscape

WINDS: Works need to be well anchored and able to withstand the strong winds which often visit the Palmer Landscape.

WATER: Sudden downpours can and do occur at any time of year. Water-soluble materials are not advisable unless intended for ephemeral works.

HEAT: Heatwaves can still occur in March/April, so artworks need to be able to withstand strong direct sunlight and possible temperatures of around 40°C.

AMBIANCE: Seen against the rugged vegetation and the landforms and skyscape, works at Palmer stand out with a unique authority not to be found in galleries. Their setting and the angle from which they will be viewed can make them appear smaller or larger than they do in a studio or suburban environment.

Floating Figure, by Greg Johns,  the first sculpture installed in the Landscape (2001)