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Sydney ’s Museum of Contemporary Art (or MCA for short) will pique the interest of those of you who have an interest in the current goings on in the world of Australian art. With its range of Australian and international modern art the MCA provides a great counterpoint to the more traditional artistic styles and artists on display at the Art Gallery of NSW.

The MCA is located in stunning Circular Quay in The Rocks. This location is interesting for two reasons: firstly, as it is wasted given the lack of windows on the higher floors, and secondly as The Rocks is the oldest area of Sydney , while the MCA specialises in modern art. Quite the contradiction, although that’s hardly the point given that the most important feature is the art itself, which a breathtaking view would certainly detract from.

As Australia ’s only museum dedicated to collecting and displaying contemporary art from Australia and around the world, the MCA is certainly a must-see for art-lovers staying or passing through Sydney . It pursues its mission statement, “engaging with contemporary art and ideas” wholeheartedly, with frequent exhibitions encompassing the latest in new media, installations, sculpture and photography just to name a few.

The MCA is currently exhibiting a large portion of the 2006 Biennale Zones of Contact (with the other major portion of works on display at the Art Gallery of NSW). Arguably the most significant Australian exhibition of contemporary art, this year’s MCA Biennale pickings include many stunning pieces on political turmoil and the symbiotic relationship between land and humanity. Particularly impressive is a confronting series of works by Biljana Djurdjevic depicting expressionless children that inhabit a series of joyless, homogenised worlds. Not a series of artworks for the serially depressed by any stretch of the imagination.

The Biennale draws to a close on 27 August so be quick!

Also currently showing is Bangu Yilbara (meaning ‘To Do Now’ in the language of the Gadigal Aboriginal People, the traditional owners of the land on which the MCA rests). This exhibition brings together the best in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from the last two and a half decades, including works by famed artists Tracey Moffatt and Lin Onus. Bangu Yilbara will close on 1 October.

The museum’s latest acquisitions will also be exhibited until 3 September.

If these exhibitions don’t tantalise your artistic taste buds enough there are several fabulous exhibitions just around the corner.

Cultural, sexual and social identities are challenged in the provocative works of Juan Davila, who immigrated to Australia from Chile in 1974. The exhibition will kick off on 9 September and include works from the Davila’s entire career for the first time. This will definitely be the must-see exhibition of the year, for me at least, as Davila’s challenging and overtly political works, particularly his epic 1980s and 1990s wall murals and recent treatment of refugees in detention, will be amazing to see gathered in one space.

On 13 September the MCA will also host its annual exhibition of young Australian artists’ works, Primavera. This exhibition is always one to watch to see what’s in store from up and coming Australian artists.

Australian sculptor James Angus, based in Perth and New York , is also showing a retrospective of his works since the mid-1990s from 13 September. Angus’ sculptures explore the physical properties of everyday objects and creatures, manipulating their basic structures to challenge their symmetry and anatomies, repositioning our perceptions of them in turn.

The Museum of Contemporary Art , like the Art Gallery of NSW, has several floors with free entry, but charges entry fees for most exhibitions (which are usually housed on the fourth floor). The MCA is open daily from 10am – 5pm , with the exception of Christmas Day.

For more information check out the website: http://www.mca.com.au/.

If you have even the remotest interest in contemporary art, or if one of the exhibitions above appeals to you in the slightest then make sure you at least get down to the MCA and check it out. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

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