RĪVUS
or the 23rd Biennale of Sydney, titled “rīvus” (Latin for “stream”), artistic director José Roca explored the political agency of (2022), inspired by the roots of a tree native to the Philippines, wrapped around the exterior of a community-arts building; at The Cutaway, (2022) was an installation of suspended boats, reflecting the political nature of waterways and the boats as one of the primary vessels of colonization. Yuko Mohri’s installation in the Pier 2/3 building of tubes, bottles, buckets, and plastic sheeting (2022) approximated the makeshift assemblages used to manage dripping water in the Tokyo subway, as she captures in her photographic series (2009–). Examining mythologies around the lifecycle of the eel, Leanne Tobin’s three-part multimedia project, from the series (2022), draws inspiration from her Indigenous heritage and featured serpentine glass creatures created in collaboration with artisans Ben and Kathy Edols.
