SYDNEY.- The 17th Biennale of Sydney closed on Sunday with record-breaking visitation of over half a million attending the event. More than 517,000 visited the Biennale venues, with an estimated 408,000 additional visitors enjoying the Biennale’s outdoor works in the Royal Botanic Gardens and an innumerable audience experiencing Roxy Paine’s large-scale work, Neuron, on the front lawn of the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay. The Biennale’s record figures were fuelled by a phenomenal boost in the number of people who visited the Cockatoo Island venue with final attendances eclipsing its inaugural use in 2008 by a tremendous 82%. More than 157,000 visited the former convict prison and shipyard, where 120 artworks by 56 artists were presented. 80% of visitors to the island took advantage of the free