Andrew Hogg of Andrew Hogg Design sent these images of Cockatoo Island in Sydney during the Biennale of Sydney 2008.

As the host city of one of Australia’s most exciting festivals, the Biennale of Sydney positions Sydney as a centre for contemporary art in the region. The 16th Biennale of Sydney runs from 18 June to 7 September 2008 at venues and sites throughout Sydney, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Cockatoo Island. This is Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev’s (Artistic Director of Biennale) last Biennale which explores the theme Revolutions – forms that turn.

From the Biennale’s site

Artists whose practice emerged in the 1960s and 1970s will prepare new works for exhibition alongside seminal artworks by early twentieth century revolutionary artists such as Aleksandr Rodchenko and Kasimir Malevich. The exhibition will also feature major new projects by William Kentridge and Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, as well as new works by younger artists such as Qiu Anxiong, Gerard Byrne, Pierre Huyghe, Renata Lucas, Susan Philipsz and Michael Rakowitz. This edition of the Biennale of Sydney will also include more works by Australian artists than any previous one, including Vernon Ah Kee, Destiny Deacon, Simryn Gill, Shaun Gladwell, Rosemary Laing, Tracey Moffatt, TV Moore, Mike Parr, Stuart Ringholt, Julie Rrap and theweathergroup_U.

Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour and a curious urban park. Formerly a prison and shipyard, the island is a time machine – it’s unique prison buildings have been nominated for World Heritage listing, its ship yard infrastructure stand as ghost like remains to our working past. A free Ferry runs on the hour from 9.45pm to 4.45, the last service departs at 5.15pm.

Thank you Andrew for these wonderful images. Visit Andrew Hogg Design, or the Biennale of Sydney here.

The Melbourne Design Market is an idea developed by the studio in 2005, which was brought to life by the crew at the National Design Centre. The studio has had a stall at the market for several years and it is an invaluable chance to meet the people that ultimately use our work. It is also a chance for us to see what people are responding too – how they relate to the images we make, do they appreciate the messages woven into the objects. Do people willingly buy the materials on offer, or is there a period of contemplation before purchase.

It is a wonder standing on the other side of the counter. Visitors like interacting with our work and it is curious watching people investigate the pieces, make the decision to find their money, or put it back and walk away. No amount of highly considered design thinking will help the merchandise’s appeal, and no amount of convincing will make a transaction happen. The success of the designed objects is measured by one simple reality — what is left at pack up time at 5pm and what isn’t. This insight is invaluable, as it is overwhelming comparing what you think people would like and what they actually buy – often we guess right as often as we guess wrong.

Many designs we prepare for our cards, badges and publications follow a broad criteria – people respond common visual clichés – like pets, symbols and familiar situations or objects; people respond to colour and contrast; people respond to familiar gags or issues; and people respond to useful information or ideas. Then we develop work that simply looks what we think is appealing.

We highly recommend that every graphic designer develop a product, or two, and then take it to market. It is sobering to see where one’s vision for design converges with the design’s ability to capture a following or an audience.

Thanks to the crew at Studio Round who were such great company over the day, and the many people who came to visit our stall and interacted with our work. See you next time.

Last October (2007) the studio concluded it’s work with Robert Horne UK, to assist with launching the Stephen paper range in the UK. Several pieces were produced, including this exploration piece that drawed on contributions from Paul Davis, Sara Fanelli, Jeff Fisher, Anthony Geernaert, Shara Henderson, Paul Sahre, Karl Schwerdtfeger and Jen Tyers along with writing, imaging making and design by the Studio. Each image maker selected a topic that told the story of Stephen, then let their approach to image do the talking. Thanks again all our collaborators.

The studio has been working on new promotional material for a paper called Stephen. The grade has enjoyed some recent changes including – FSC Certification, recycled content upping from 25 to 50%, a new cover weight 330gsm across the range and sexy suite of new white shades – Spicy, Scrambled and Chilled.

So we are madly making images, writing, collaborating and inventing content, like Derek Myna here. Derek, along with other imaginary concoctions, will soon be singing a happy song of the new and always improving ways of Stephen. The new stock is ready to specify now, and promotion materials will be swooping on your studio soon.

Read all about Stephen here

The studio has designed this event identity for the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet. The scheme was developed with a range of stakeholders and under the constrains of a tight timeline. The approved identity was then distributed to various parties facilitating the event’s signing, print, advertising and digital components. The tick is an abstract of the climate change issue being one overarching problem, that requires numerous and diverse solutions – which is what this summit is facililating. Thanks to the DSE and DPAC for for fostering a smooth and productive process.

Visit the Victorian Climate Change Summit here