The new year sees this year’s Lorne Sculpture Biennale (LSB) rapidly approaching, with all artists working feverishly, creating their site-specific pieces for this year’s event.  Themed Spirit of Place and curated by Lorne local arts legend Graeme Wilkie OAM, the unique curatorial approach of the LSB invites artists to create works that respond to their site, rather than merely being placed within it, putting Lorne – its stories and its environment - front and centre.

Beyond this highly anticipated exhibition, there is also a range of supporting performances and events including the Sculpture Plus program and the Small Sculpture Prize and Exhibition.

Sculpture Plus will feature free and ticketed performances, workshops, nature walks, Indigenous education and other experiences around the township of Lorne over the 3-week, 4 weekend period. The Small Sculpture Prize and Exhibition features small works by Biennale and other invited artists, giving art lovers, supporters and visitors the opportunity to take a small piece of the Biennale home.

In a first for the event, LSB has established an online Gallery Shop – shop.lornesculpture.com/ - to showcase the exhibited sculptural works, as well as limited edition and original works on paper, ceramics and design objects – making collecting just a click away.  In other good news, all commissions generated by the sales will be reinvested into future Biennales.  

Featuring works by all 16 selected Biennale artists, the Small Sculpture Exhibition will be held in Lorne’s Community Connect building and will run for the duration of the Biennale. In addition, a range of invited emerging, mid-career and established artists will be showcased across a range of price points.  Works from the exhibition will be available for pre-sale via the online Gallery Shop from mid-February.  

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Invited artists include: Bruce Armstrong (Bunjil, Docklands), Lorne Sculpture 2016 People’s Choice winner Jenny Crompton, Geoffrey Bartlett, Peter Schipperheyn, Cara Johnson, Dean Bowen and Lucy McEachern.

The Lorne Sculpture Biennale is also offering a Small Sculpture Prize of $5000 (non-acquisitive), with a judging panel including former Geelong Gallery Director and Head Curator of the Point Leo Sculpture Park, Geoffrey Edwards; arts advocate and former Director of the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Kelly Gellatly and Dr Graeme Williams OAM.

Artistic Director, Graeme Wilkie OAM, said, “After one postponement, we are excited to be getting close to bringing the Lorne Sculpture Biennale to our iconic foreshore for everyone to enjoy.  The addition of the Sculpture Plus and Small Sculpture Exhibition, lend even more activity and excitement to our full program.  The online Gallery Shop gives collectors the perfect opportunity to support our artists whilst investing in the future of the Biennale.  A wonderful outcome for us all.”

The Lorne Sculpture Biennale is a free and un-ticketed event.  It will be in situ from Saturday 12 March until Sunday 3 April.  For more information head to:  lornesculpture.com/ and follow LSB on Instagram @lornesculpture.   The online gallery shop is located at shop.lornesculpture.com/

Lorne Sculpture Biennale 2022 is supported by the Australian Government through Festivals Australia, the RISE fund and the Building Better Regions Fund Community Stream; the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria; and the Surf Coast Shire through the COVID Assistance Recovery Program.

The Lorne Sculpture Biennale acknowledges the Gadubanud people as the traditional custodians of the land on which we will exhibit.  We pay our respect to their ancestors and elders, past, present and emerging.

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