The decline started in 2014, when boycotts by artists erupted because of the sponsorship of the event by Transfield, who also happened to run offshore detention centres. Then the sponsorship got cancelled.
Star of the show this year is Ai Weiwei, and his enormous 'Law of the Journey' refugee-themed artwork. My picture doesn't do it justice, but it's several metres high and 60 metres long.
He's a busy man and was already off on another mission elsewhere in the world. I'd been hoping to share my story with him about my Beijing guide a few years ago. She'd been shocked and horrified about the belief by us westerners that Ai Weiwei had inspired the design of Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' Olympic stadium. "NO NO NO - HE DIDN'T DESIGN IT! It was a Swiss company!" She was desperate to do her bit to reinforce her government's line about one of China's least favoured sons.
Some of the exhibits were a bit interesting in a rather unexciting way. There was a pile of mudworm droppings deposited by a giant 3D printer.
And a big table with blobs of coloured gloop on it.
The old convict buildings were looking good though, enhanced on this occasion by a brickwork patio installation.
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