2020 ARTISTIC PROGRAM
LILLY LAI, EJ SON, SOO-MIN SHIM, ATHENA THEBUS + CHLOE CORKRAN, AND ZOE WONG
‘THIS IS WHO I AM’
CURATED BY SHARON HONG
16 January - 7 February
EJ Son, Untitled, glazed stone ware, varied dimensions, 2019. Photography Zan Wimberley.
CURATORIAL STATEMENT
“This is who I am” explores the experience of being queer Asian-Australian; the familial connections, cultural expectations, and the binary conflicts on the disparities of the East and West. The exhibition showcases five contemporary, emerging artists who identify as Asian-Australian and Queer on the Asian diaspora—within the intersectionality of our socio-political and socio-cultural climate.
CIARAN BEGLEY, JACK DUNBAR, MATTHEW JAMES, SARAH MOSCA, AND ZAN WIMBERLEY
“PHOTOMECHANICAL”
CURATED BY JACK HARMAN
13 February - 20 March
Zan Wimberley, (L-R), “Cascade”, wax candle, studio light, plinth, variable, 2019, “Coal and Ice”, video, Duration 18:31min, 2020. Photography Zan Wimberley.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
A discarded copy of ‘The Focal Encyclopaedia of Photography: Desk Edition’ (1969) has made its way into my possession where it currently resides… on my desk. It’s rather cumbersome, as are most of the entries: boasting over 1,700,000 words, 1,750 illustrations and the inclusion of 276 contributors, it is a wealth of information. The encyclopaedia marvels at photographic technologies and aims to educate the reader by ‘providing in-depth factual material of a type which readers often look for in reference books. A fair amount of additional historical, statistical and geographical information has been included…’ (1) primarily addressing the topics of: colour, economics, education, science and techniques. It’s not particularly scholarly, at a glance its contributors are hobbyists, enthusiasts, commercial successes and various other industry professionals, each eager to contribute to the canon.
Photography is difficult. (2) While its canon is inundated with theoretical, material and political discourse it remains elusive and unidentifiable. We can observe aspects of the photographic processes which we know to be essential to the medium. Thumbing through the encyclopaedia I find a leaflet enfolded between the pages, inviting the reader to contribute knowledge for the next edition. Despite its value, the publication is outdated and inherently biased as it presents photography through the lens. All considered, I thought it an interesting contribution to revise and extend the dialogue on the intersections between photo and object.
VAUGHAN WOZNIAK O’CONNOR
‘GEOSPATIAL ATLAS’
13 February - 20 March
Vaughan Wozniak-O’Connor, GPS data from habitual walking routes affected by heart r- rate data, etching on metal, 2020. Photography Zan Wimberley.
ARTIST STATEMENT
“Geospatial Atlas” explores the creative potential of using tracking technologies as a drawing tool. Presented as a fragmented atlas of biometric data and embodied glitches, this exhibition attempts to map the emotional qualities of places as filtered through disorienting new technologies.
NADIA HERNANDEZ
‘ENTRE TODOS TODXS (AMONG EVERYTHING, EVERYONE)’
27 August - 27 November
Nadia Hernández, Entre todo, cocinaba, bailaba y hablaba con los pájaros, 2020, (Among everything, she cooked, danced and talked with the birds), paper cut, 71 x 90 cm, framed, 2020. Photography Zan Wimberley.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Entre Todo, Todxs (Among Everything, Everyone) was a body of work consisting of paintings, paper cutouts, textiles and sound presented at Verge Gallery. This exhibition articulated the intersection between hope and conflict through the documentation of collective memories, imagery, and sounds.
“The artworks pay homage to my great grandmother, Delia. Many of my family members have contributed stories, anecdotes, memories, recipes and sounds to commemorate my great grandmother. This exhibition includes personal and familial histories and is a celebration of a matriarch and beloved individual whose cotidianidad (daily life) and idiosyncrasies echoed the particularities of her surroundings.”