ADELAIDE.- The Art Gallery of South Australia today announces José Da Silva as curator of the 2024 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. Appointed following a national callout, Da Silva brings more than twenty years of curatorial experience in Australian art museums including his current role as Director of UNSW Galleries and former roles at the Australian Cinémathèque and Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art.

Art Gallery of South Australia Director Rhana Devenport ONZM says, ‘As the country’s longest standing survey of contemporary Australian art, the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art has continually broadened audiences, gained national and international attention and provided a dynamic platform for artists during its 30-year history. We welcome José Da Silva to the role of curator of the 2024 Adelaide Biennial, whose wealth of experience and nuanced curatorial practice promises to deliver a captivating exhibition.’

José Da Silva commented, ‘I’m thrilled for this opportunity to share my vision for the Adelaide Biennial and feel energised by all the possibilities ahead, especially the opportunity to learn from Elders, artists, thinkers, and community figures across Australia. Biennials are projects that allow us to create a meaningful interface for culture within a city. I’m eager to work with the AGSA team to develop something extraordinary for the people of South Australia and visitors looking for something that allows them to see culture and society differently.’

Da Silva’s appointment follows the closure in June of the 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State, curated by Sebastian Goldspink. Free/State assembled twenty-five leading Australian artists with works that revealed alternative ways of viewing the world and explored the challenges of an era of global upheaval.

The Adelaide Biennial has historically been a vehicle through which AGSA grows its holdings of contemporary art and, to date, nine works of art from the 2022 Adelaide Biennial have been acquired for the AGSA collection.

Since 1990, conceived as part of the Adelaide Festival, the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art has created career-defining opportunities for close to 500 artists, and been experienced by more than 1.3 million visitors.

The 2024 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art will be presented from 1 March to 2 June 2024 as part of the 2024 Adelaide Festival.