Sydney Gets its MCA Back

It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here. Back in August 2010, the Museum of Contemporary Art closed its doors to undergo a $53 million redevelopment: new galleries were added, old ones removed, and then came shops and activity rooms and cafés. Now, some 18 months later, the MCA is back in business. It's certainly bigger – with the building's total size increased by nearly half – but it's also, thankfully, a lot better.

As the gallery's director, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, explained at a recent media preview, the concept behind the new gallery was all about creating a welcoming space. “The old entrance never really invited you in,” she suggested. “And we lacked the grandeur of the experience we now have.” Indeed, the new entrance could scarcely be more different from its predecessor. Gone is the pokey, narrow doorway that had more to do with cattle herding than culture, replaced instead with a big, bright entrance in concrete and glass that looks out across the harbour.

The gallery's total exhibition space has been increased by over 25 per cent thanks to the addition of three new galleries. Each of them is large and open and, to be honest, not exactly jam-packed with art. But nor should they be. They let visitors calmly navigate the area at their own pace, rather than confronting them with an intimidating wave of artworks. “It's a snapshot of the last twenty years of collecting,” Macgregor said. “And there are some works that will surprise you.”

There is also a new rooftop café and sculpture terrace, where each year an artist will be invited to create an artwork for display – it's currently home to a piece by Hany Armanious, the Australian representative at last year's Venice Biennale. Impressive as it is, it faces stiff competition in the visual stakes from some pretty extraordinary rooftop views of the harbour.

As well as new gallery spaces, the MCA features a number of commissions from Australian artists, including a permanent work on the gallery's façade by Brook Andrew, and a fascinating piece created by Melbourne artist Emily Floyd specifically for children with special needs. Helen Eager has also made a large wall painting – a jumble of orange triangles – that greets visitors as they walk through the harbourside entrance and ensures the striking new architecture doesn't completely steal the show.

So to the exhibitions. The MCA opens with Making Time, a major international exhibition of works by 11 artists that will take over the MCA's top-floor galleries, as well as The Clock, an intriguing 24-hour video (shown every Thursday in its entirety) by Christian Marclay, who won best artist at last year's Venice Biennale. There is also a performance art programme called Local Positioning Systems that features the work of six Australian artists and the UK collaborative Walker & Bromwich. Each will be on show until Sunday 3 June. Also on the cards is the 18th Biennale of Sydney, which will take place from 27 June until 16 September in a number of venues, including the MCA and Cockatoo Island, and an exhibition of Australian artist Ken Whisson's paintings and drawings is also planned for September.