The seventh Sculpture by the Sea Sculpture Conference will be held this year on 2 November at the Art Gallery of NSW in conjunction with the annual Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2009 exhibition. It is the only conference of its kind in Australia to explore contemporary sculpture and its place in the urban public landscape. By bearing the two-pronged title "Sculpture in Public (and not so Public) Space", the two sides of exhibiting and presenting sculptural works will be explored, both in the public realm of city spaces and the private realm of the personal sculpture collection.

The conference features a line up of major Australian and international sculptor identities, along with curators, urban designers and artists who all play a role in creatively transforming our cities. More guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

Noel Lane from New Zealand's The Farm sculpture park will discuss their recent commission by Anish Kapoor. The Farm is not only a working farm but is considered amongst the world's most important sculpture parks.

The topic of how public spaces should look is one being discussed throughout the art, pubelopment and design worlds. The panel discussion "Activating the City" will present the different stakeholders involved in defining public spaces today. Facilitated by Marla Guppy, (Cultural Planner, Guppy and Associates) the panel will include Ken Unsworth AM (Sculptor), Eva Rodriguez Riestra (City of Sydney), Philip Spelman (Sculptor), Gerard Reinmuth (Terroir Architects) and Vince Frost (Frost* Design).

Australian and International exhibiting artists from the Sculpture by the Sea Bondi 2009 exhibition will discuss the journey of their sculpture from idea to installation in a series of case studies presentations.

Sydney Morning Herald Arts writer John McDonald will also hold an informal discussion with artists from the first international Sculpture by the Sea held in Aarhus, Denmark in June. Additionally, in a collaboration with the AGNSW exhibition "Kaldor Public Art Projects: 40 years", conference delegates will be given an introductory tour to this important collection by Program Manager Sophie Forbat.

Tickets may sell out so advance bookings recommended.

For more information or to download a Conference Registration Form please visit the Bondi 2009 Conference.