The Installation Art Podcast

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A candid review of the 25th Biennale of Sydney, spanning five venues across Greater Sydney: from a regional gallery that got everything right to an old Power Station full of missed opportunities.
I spent 10 hours at the media preview visiting all five venues: Lewers Penrith Regional Gallery, Chau Chak Wing Museum, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Art Gallery of New South Wales and White Bay Power Station. This isn't a comprehensive report, it’s my personal takeaway on what works (and what fails) when it comes to installation art at an international exhibition.
The 25th Biennale of Sydney, titled Rememory and curated by Hoor Al-Qasimi, demonstrates something that's come up again and again on this podcast: you can have prestigious artists, important topics and historic venues, but if the lighting is wrong, if there's nowhere to sit, if the space outshines the art… it doesn't work.
What I cover:
• Why Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery was the standout venue
• Some highlighted works from each venue
• The 11-minute sound installation no one experiences beyond 15 seconds – and other accessibility challenges
• Documentation vs art – where is the line?
• A moment of comparison: do island Biennales create better experiences?

00:32 Biennale of Sydney Facts
02:57 Penrith Gallery Highlight
05:32 Everyone’s Favorite Installation
08:06 Chau Chak Wing Museum
10:31 Campbelltown Art Centre - Documentary Debate
13:21 Art Gallery of NSW Picks
17:12 White Bay Venue Challenges
22:26 Video Overload Critique
26:32 Installation Missteps
32:48 Final Takeaways

Biennale of Sydney 2026: Rememory is on view until 14 June 2026, free entry
More info: https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/

Review by art critic Christopher Allen: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/culture/worse-than-anticipated-how-the-sydney-biennale-became-a-site-of-mediocrity-and-irrelevance/news-story/efd37fe54c91806748fd89fda76f65f6

Also mentioned in this episode:
Biennale of Sydney: https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/biennalesydney/ | @biennaleofsydney
Venice Biennale episode: https://installationartpodcast.com/bonus-013
Helsinki Biennial episode: https://installationartpodcast.com/bonus-039
Lewers: Pentrith Regional Art Gallery: https://www.penrithregionalgallery.com.au/ | https://www.instagram.com/penrithregionalgallery/
Nora Adwan: https://noraadwan.com/home.html | https://www.instagram.com/adwan.nora/
Chau Chak Wing Museum: https://www.sydney.edu.au/museum/ | https://www.instagram.com/ccwm_sydney/
Michael Dagostino: https://www.sydney.edu.au/museum/about-us/our-people.html
Ema Shin: https://emashin.org/home.html | https://www.instagram.com/ema.shin/
Tuan Andrew Nguyen: https://www.tuanandrewnguyen.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/tuan.andrew.nguyen/
Cambelltown Arts Centre: https://www.campbelltownartscentre.com.au/Home | https://www.instagram.com/campbelltownartscentre/ | @campbelltownartscentre8258
Hoor Al-Qasimi: https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/hoor-al-qasimi/ | https://www.instagram.com/hooralq/
Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige: https://hadjithomasjoreige.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/studiohadjithomasjoreige/
Art Gallery of NSW: https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/
Kuba Dorabialski: https://www.kubadorabialski.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/kubadora/
Mia Wasikowska: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1985859/ | https://www.instagram.com/mia_wasikowska_/
Taysir Batniji: https://www.taysirbatniji.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/taysir_batniji/
Kapwani Kiwanga: https://www.kapwanikiwanga.org/
Ron Mueck: https://ropac.net/artists/63-ron-mueck/ | https://www.instagram.com/ronmueckart/
Mike Hewson: https://mikehewson.co.nz/ | https://www.instagram.com/mikehewson/
MCA: https://www.mca.com.au/ | https://www.instagram.com/mca_australia | @mcaaustralia
White Bay Power Station: https://www.whitebaypowerstation.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/whitebaypowerstation/
Christopher Allen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Allen_(critic)
Cockatoo Island: https://www.cockatooisland.gov.au/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/harbourtrust/ | @HarbourTrust2088
Frank Sweeney: https://franksweeney.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/frankbeee/
Hui Ye: https://yehui.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/huiyeist/

The Installation Art Podcast is a show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation. The host...

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A conversation with New Zealand artist Mike Hewson, recorded inside his monumental installation The Key's Under the Mat at the Art Gallery of New South Wales – a 2,500 square meter underground park complete with working sauna, laundromat, barbecues, DJ booth, recording studio and playground that's broken every visitor record the gallery has ever seen.
Mike's practice straddles the complex lines between art, infrastructure and public liability. He designs playgrounds that councils don't know how to regulate, builds permanent public sculptures that must survive Australian weather conditions and human interference and he takes on legal exposure that would terrify most artists, all while fighting the perception that making functional, interactive work is somehow "beneath" serious art.

Key insights from this episode:
• The Christchurch earthquake moment: barefoot in a broken city, wondering whether he should keep pursuing art
• Project backlash: dealing with public anger, going into debt on his first major commission and lessons learned
• Strategic pivot: setting a new precedent as an artist-engineer
• True scope of the AGNSW project and how he sourced materials for it
• Hard truth and advice: burnout is not a sustainable business model

Mike Hewson is a New Zealand artist based in Sydney. You can find out more about his work on his website https://mikehewson.co.nz/ and follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikehewson
See his work in person:
The Key's Under the Mat at AGNSW Tank (open until August 2026) https://mikehewson.co.nz/2025/10/the-keys-under-the-mat
Coal Loader Palm Grove is a permanent public installation at Sydney Fish Markets: https://mikehewson.co.nz/2026/1/coal-loader-palm-grove
Rocks on Wheels public art playground in Soutbank, Naarm (Melbourne): https://mikehewson.co.nz/2022/11/rocks-on-wheels
Pockets Park in Pioneers Memorial Park, Leichhardt NSW: https://mikehewson.co.nz/2022/2/pockets-park
St Peters Fences at Simpson Park, St Peters NSW: https://mikehewson.co.nz/2020/9/st-peters-fences
Illawarra Placed Landscape at Crown Street Mall, Wollongong NSW: https://mikehewson.co.nz/2017/11/illawarra-placed-landscape

02:55 Work Life Balance Reality
05:35 Growing Up in Rural NZ
08:02 From Painting to Installations
19:40 Building Playgrounds as Art
27:37 Precarious Look Safe Design
32:32 Sourcing Found Materials
40:33 Maintenance and Record Crowds
45:41 Afterlife and Financial Reality
58:51 Geopets Art Fair Hack
01:07:17 Contracts, Insurance and Codes
01:20:51 Hard Truths And Advice
01:25:51 After The Mammoth Show

Also mentioned in this episode:
Christchurch earthquake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Christchurch_earthquake
JR: https://www.jr-art.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/jr/
Columbia University: https://www.columbia.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/columbia/ | @columbia
Sarah Sze: https://www.sarahsze.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/sarahszestudio
Lloyd’s: https://www.lloyds.com/australia | https://www.instagram.com/lloydsoflondon/ | @Lloydsinsurance
Infrastructure NSW: https://www.infrastructure.nsw.gov.au/ |
Gumtree: https://www.gumtree.com.au/ | https://www.instagram.com/gumtreeaus | @gumtreeaustralia
Lett Thomas Gallery: https://lett-thomas.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/michaellett | https://www.instagram.com/lettthomasgallery
Rirkrit Tiravanija: https://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/rirkrit-tiravanija | https://www.instagram.com/rirkrit_team
Sydney Fish Market: https://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/

Images courtesy of the artist and Art Gallery of NSW

The Installation Art Podcast is a show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation. The host Anastasia Parmson, an artist herself, interviews internationally renowned artists and arts workers about the intricacies and behind-the-scenes stories of creating and showing work that is site-specific, ephemeral, large scale or immersive.

🔔 Hit subscribe or follow wherever you’re listening to never miss a new episode.

📢 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/installationartpodcast/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@installationartpodcast

📚 More information about the show and previous episodes: www.installationartpodcast.com
Your host Anastasia Parmson: www.anastasiaparmson.art https://www.instagram.com/anastasiaparmson.art/

I made a 3-minute listener survey to help shape the podcast's future. What's working? What's not? Who should I interview next? Your feedback genuinely matters. Fill out here: https://forms.gle/qqHJrMXpsC9UYu2m7

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A conversation with Dutch artist Tanja Smeets, whose site-specific installations employ diverse and industrial materials (concrete spacers, leaf catchers, textiles, ceramics and 3D-printed steel) to create large scale works that appear to grow organically from architecture and cityscapes.
Guided by her catchphrase “Under the pavement the roots are whirling,” Tanja's practice reveals what it takes to work at the intersection of art, craft, technology and collaboration.

Key insights from this episode:
• Why art school felt like failure
• Finding and transforming unusual materials
• Residencies at TextielLab and European Ceramic Work Center: pushing porcelain through frying sieves, learning embroidery and more
• The volcano eruption: teaching an assistant to knot lentils into lycra via Zoom when flights were grounded
• Miami airport interrogation: five suitcases, a letter and threatening border patrol agents with a lecture on art

Tanja Smeets is a Dutch artist based in Utrecht. Her work has been exhibited internationally including Manifesta and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. See her work in person at
Westerpark, Amsterdam (permanent public sculpture) and Centraal Museum, Utrecht (permanent installation in historic staircase).
03:24 Favorite Quote – Under the Pavement the Roots Are Whirling
09:35 The Iceland Trip That Changed Everything
15:49 From Painting to Installation – When Everything Clicked
20:10 A Government Building Commission – Dripping Through Multiple Floors
22:50 How the Opportunities Started Coming
29:24 TextielLab – Combining Felt with Leaf Catchers
33:09 European Ceramic Work Center Residency
47:47 When the White Cube Doesn’t Work
48:52 Manifesta Barcelona – Installing on 5th-Century Graves
51:17 Building Solo vs Working with Teams
56:33 The Commercial Question – “I’m Always Disappearing into Big Installations”
01:02:10 Miami Airport – Five Suitcases and the Threat of a Lecture
01:06:56 MX3D Collaboration – 3D-Printed Stainless Steel
01:11:43 Finding Technical Collaborators and Pushing Boundaries
01:17:09 Dream Project
01:20:00 Advice for Emerging Artists
Opening of solo exhibition and launch of new publication and film about Tanja’s work: 11 April 2026 at the Utrecht in Leeuwarden.
The book can be ordered via [email protected]

You can find out more about her work at https://www.tanjasmeets.nl/ and follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/studiotanjasmeets/

Also mentioned in this episode:
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum: https://dyckmanfarmhouse.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/dyckmanfarmhouse | @dyckmanfarmhousemuseum8502
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen: https://www.boijmans.nl/en | https://www.instagram.com/boijmans/
TextielMuseum: https://textielmuseum.nl/en | https://www.instagram.com/textielmuseum/
TextielLab: https://textiellab.nl/en
European Ceramic Work Centre: https://ekwc.nl/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/ekwc_oisterwijk/ @sundaymorningekwc6951
David Lynch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lynch
Eraserhead: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074486/
Blue Velvet: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090756/
Kunsthal KAdE: https://www.kunsthalkade.nl/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/kunsthal_kade_amersfoort | https://www.youtube.com/user/KUNSTHALKADE
Manifesta: https://manifesta.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/manifestabiennial/ | @Manifesta_foundation
Mondriaan Fund: https://www.mondriaanfonds.nl/en/homepage-2/ | https://www.instagram.com/mondriaanfonds/
Museum of Arts And Design: https://madmuseum.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/madmuseum | @madmuseum
Museum Vizcaya: https://vizcaya.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/vizcaya_museum/ | @VizcayaMuseum
Westerpark: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/explore/neighbourhoods/westerpark | https://www.instagram.com/iamsterdam
MX3D: https://mx3d.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/mx3d.metal.printing/ | @officialMX3D
Centraal Museum Utrecht: https://www.centraalmuseum.nl/en | https://www.instagram.com/centraalmuseum

The Installation Art Podcast is a show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation. The host Anastasia Parmson, an artist herself, interviews internationally renowned artists and arts workers about the intricacies and behind-the-scenes stories of creating and showing work that is site-specific, ephemeral, large scale or immersive.

🔔 Hit subscribe or follow wherever you’re listening to never miss a new episode.

📢 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/installationartpodcast/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@installationartpodcast

📚 More information about the show and previous episodes: www.installationartpodcast.com
Your host Anastasia Parmson: www.anastasiaparmson.art https://www.instagram.com/anastasiaparmson.art/
Mentioned in this episode:
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A bonus solo episode about my last minute art trip to Helsinki: what I saw at Helsinki Biennale on Vallisaari island, three must-visit museums (Kiasma, Amos Rex, HAM), and why sometimes the best art experiences require a little effort to reach.
Last August, I hopped a ferry from Estonia to catch the closing days of Helsinki Biennale. In a day and a half, I discovered why island biennales create magic, why Nordic countries do art infrastructure better and what Australia can learn from Finland's approach to supporting artists and making contemporary art accessible to everyone.
This isn't a comprehensive review, it’s my honest impressions, favorite discoveries and a few rants.
What I cover in this episode:
• Why the ferry journey to Vallisaari island matters (hello, Cockatoo Island nostalgia)
• The challenge of installing art outdoors: scale, setting and competing with historic buildings
• Standout works: Sara Bjärland's bronze "inflatable" sculptures, Tania Candiani's immersive bunker installation, Ana Teresa Barboza's woven bark forest
• Three essential Helsinki museums: Kiasma (timeless favorite), Amos Rex (new obsession), HAM (Biennale HQ)
• Gushing about Helsinki Central Library (Oodi): free recording studios, 3D printing, instrument hire – everything Sydney libraries lack…
• Free museum days and artist benefits: how my Australian NAVA card got me free entry in Finland (but not in Sydney... explain that)

00:00 Why I Went To Helsinki Biennale
01:20 Getting to Vallisaari
03:31 Island Setting and Challenges
07:06 Scent Art Surprise
08:46 Standout Works
13:14 Lesson About Rushing
15:28 Rainy Day Museum Crawl: Kiasma
16:32 Amos Rex and HAM
21:44 Finland Artist Perks
23:37 Wrap Up and Listener Poll

Resources:
Listener survey - help shape this podcast! https://forms.gle/r2EN8w9C7wisUxJe7
Send a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/installationartpodcast
Write an email: https://installationartpodcast.com/contact

Also mentioned in this episode:
Helsinki Biennale: https://helsinkibiennaali.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/helsinkibiennial/
Vallisaari: https://vallisaari.fi/en_US | https://www.instagram.com/vallisaari.fi
Biennale of Sydney: https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/biennalesydney/ | @biennaleofsydney
Cockatoo Island: https://www.cockatooisland.gov.au/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/harbourtrust/ | @HarbourTrust2088
Olafur Eliasson: https://olafureliasson.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/studioolafureliasson/
Raimo Saarinen: https://www.raimosaarinen.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/raimosaarinen/
Sara Bjarland: https://sarabjarland.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/sbjarland/
Tania Candiani: https://taniacandiani.com/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/tcandiani/
Ana Teresa Barboza: https://www.anateresabarboza.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/anateresa.barbozagubo/
Nabbteeri: https://www.nabbteeri.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/maria_birkhuhn/ | https://www.instagram.com/nabbage/
Kiasma: https://kiasma.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/kiasmamuseum
Amos Rex: https://amosrex.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/amoskonst/
Anna Estarriola: https://www.annaestarriola.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/annaestarriola/
HAM: https://www.hamhelsinki.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/hamhelsinki/
Oodi: https://oodihelsinki.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/oodihelsinki/
NAVA: https://visualarts.net.au/ | https://www.instagram.com/nava_visualarts/

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A philosophical conversation with Berlin-based artist Monika Grzymala, whose spatial drawings transform architecture with nothing but kilometers of black tape, intuition and intense physical labor.
Monika's practice is deceptively simple: she works alone, without assistants, using adhesive tape to create immersive three-dimensional drawings that respond to each unique space. But beneath that simplicity we discuss profound questions about ephemerality, energy, presence and what remains when a work only exists for weeks before disappearing…
From training as a stone sculptor to making her first site-specific drawing on ice at a Hamburg skating rink, from dumping all her figurative work after one transformative conversation with her professor to developing custom tape formulas with German manufacturers—Monika's journey reveals how radical simplicity can be the most powerful artistic choice.
Key insights from this episode:
• How one professor's comment changed everything
• The longevity of tape installations: 2-3 months before they fall apart (and why that's intentional)
• Documentation philosophy: why time-lapse videos don't capture the real process
• Living inside an installation: the collector who surrounded herself with Monika's work
• Advice for emerging artists: you don't need funding or large studios—just do it
Monika Grzymala is a Polish artist based in Berlin. You can find out more about her work on her website: http://www.t-r-a-n-s-i-t.net/ and follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monika.grzymala/
Monika’s publications: https://www.betterworldbooks.com/search/results?q=monika grzymala

She is represented by
Galerie CRONE: https://www.galeriecrone.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/galerie_crone/
BERG Contemporary: https://www.bergcontemporary.is/en | https://www.instagram.com/bergcontemporary/
SECCI Gallery: https://www.seccigallery.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/secci_gallery/

03:20 Studio Rituals
03:48 Berlin Life And Process
05:44 Origins And Training
08:01 Finding The Line
13:25 Ephemeral Tape Philosophy
31:24 Hunting For The Perfect Tape
32:21 Liquid Drawing Mindset
36:14 Funding Ephemeral Installations
38:06 Energy, Memory And Reality
41:31 Logistics And Documentation
56:15 Advice For Young Artists

Also mentioned in this episode:
MoMA: https://www.moma.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/themuseumofmodernart | @themuseumofmodernart
The Drawing Center: https://drawingcenter.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/drawingcenter/
Biennale of Sydney: https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/biennalesydney/ | @biennaleofsydney
Tokyo Art Museum: https://www.tobikan.jp/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/tokyometropolitanartmuseum/ | @tokyometropolitanartmuseum7280
Louise Bourgeois: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Bourgeois | https://www.instagram.com/artistelouisebourgeois/
Documenta: https://documenta.de/en | https://www.instagram.com/documenta_official | @documenta_official
Bogomir Ecker: https://www.artforum.com/events/bogomir-ecker-2-226647/
Olafur Eliasson: https://olafureliasson.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/studioolafureliasson/ Dian Woodner: https://patronview.com/patrons/dian-woodner
Frac Lorraine: https://www.fraclorraine.org/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/fraclorraine/ | @49nord6est-fraclorraine
Kunstlerhaus Dortmund: https://www.kh-do.de/ | https://www.instagram.com/kuenstlerinnenhaus_dortmund | @kunstlerhausdortmund2577
Kunstmuseum Basel: https://kunstmuseumbasel.ch/ | https://www.instagram.com/kunstmuseumbasel/ | @kumubasel

The Installation Art Podcast is a show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation. The host Anastasia Parmson, an artist herself, interviews internationally renowned artists and arts workers about the intricacies and behind-the-scenes stories of creating and showing work that is site-specific, ephemeral, large scale or immersive.

🔔 Hit subscribe or follow wherever you’re listening to never miss a new episode.

📢 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/installationartpodcast/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@installationartpodcast

📚 More information about the show and previous episodes: www.installationartpodcast.com
Your host Anastasia Parmson: www.anastasiaparmson.art https://www.instagram.com/anastasiaparmson.art/