Billy Apple®: The Artist Has to Live Like Everybody Else

Join Mary Apple and José Da Silva for a conversation reflecting on the life, work and enduring international legacy of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most influential conceptual artist. Through a personal lens, the discussion will consider Apple’s radical transformation of identity, his astute understanding of art’s relationship to commerce and branding, and the ongoing relevance of his ideas about labour, authorship and value.

Mary Apple | Speaker
José Da Silva | Speaker

This talk will be held in the 10th Edition Collector Lounge. Each talk runs for approximately 45 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. A valid ticket to Sydney Contemporary 2026 is required for entry to this talk. Buy tickets online here.

About the Speakers

Mary Apple is a New Zealand-based curator, writer, and collaborator who was the partner and wife of the prominent pop and conceptual artist Billy Apple

José Da Silva is an Australian curator and the Director of Sydney’s UNSW Galleries, where he has led a dynamic program of contemporary Australian art and design since 2018. In 2024, he curated the 18th Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art and became Chair of University Art Museums Australia.