Blog – Artists
My must-see art exhibitions in Naarm / Melbourne this summer
17 December 2014
Summer is here again and this is the best time to be in Naarm / Melbourne. Why? Here is my short list to enjoy art over the sunny days:
ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art) – Menagerie (free)
Until 1 March 2015
111 Sturt Street, Southbank (view location on Google Maps)
Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm
Wednesday, 10am to 8pm
Closed Christmas Day (25 December) and New Year's Day (1 January)
RMIT Gallery – Experimenta Recharge: sixth international biennial of media art (free)
Until 21 February 2015
344 Swanston Street, Melbourne (view location on Google Maps)
Monday to Friday, 11am to 5pm
Saturday, 12pm to 5pm
Closed Christmas Day (25 December), Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day (1 January)
TarraWarra Museum of Art
The Drunken Buddha – Ian Fairweather
Paintings and Drawings – Tony Tuckson
Found in translation – Gosia Wlodarczak
Until 15 March 2015
311 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Tarrawarra (view location on Google Maps)
Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm
Closed Christmas Day (25 December)
Admission: Adults $14, seniors $12, concession $10 (children 16 and under, students and pension card holders), children 12 and under free
McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park – McClelland Sculpture Survey & Awards 2014 (entry by donation)
Until 19 July 2015
390 McClelland Drive, Langwarrin (view location on Google Maps)
Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm
Closed Christmas Day (25 December), Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day (1 January)
Let's discover Melbourne Central's art (for free!)
16 September 2014
When I received a call from Naarm / Melbourne Central, a large shopping complex located in the heart of Naarm / Melbourne, and was asked if I could conduct tours for them, I was a little unsure if there was enough art in the centre to chat about.
I have been pleasantly surprised and I am happy to announce 2 free walk-to-art tours at Melbourne Central this September:
Date: Sunday 21 September and Sunday 28 September
Time: 2pm to 3.30pm
Cost: Free
Bookings: Essential (go to Melbourne Central's website)
Did you know that Melbourne Central is home to one of Victoria's largest public artworks? The 61-metre long mural, completed by Geoff Hogg in 1984, is now heritage listed and one of the highlights of our tour.
Join us and you will also see:
- Hamish Munro's inflatable sculpture "Filling the Mould", which won the inaugural The Kisho Prize (2013) and is designed to inflate according to the number of people inside the centre at any time (photo, top right).
- Work by street artist INSA
- geometric sculptures by Caleb Shea (photo, bottom left).
Let's travel the lanes around Melbourne Central and discover something you have never seen or noticed before.
I look forward to seeing you on our tour!
August: busy time for the arts in Naarm / Melbourne
8 August 2014
August is a busy time in the arts scene in Naarm / Melbourne, and I'd like to share three highlights with you:
Melbourne Art Fair
13 to 17 August 2014
Royal Exhibition Building
9 Nicholson Street, Carlton (view location on Google Maps)
Melbourne Art Fair is a biannual event, and this year will present 70 leading Australian and international galleries, representing over 300 artists who work across a range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation.
The Collector Program delivers exclusive access to collection tours, dinners and cocktail events, and there are lectures and forums to attend, as well as:
- MAF Platform – A new initiative for 2014, introducing young galleries and artist run initiatives (ARIs) showcasing emerging talent.
- MAF Video – MAF Video presents a group exhibition from participating galleries of video works by artists at the forefront of their field.
- MAF Project Rooms – Project Rooms is a non-profit platform showcasing innovative experimental artwork from a new generation of emerging artists.
The art fair opens on Wednesday 13 August for the vernissage, between 6pm and 10pm. These are the opening hours for the following days:
Thursday 14 August, 11am to 6pm
Friday 15 August, 11am to 8pm
Saturday 16 August, 10am to 6pm
Sunday 17 August, 10am to 5pm
Book for tickets at the Melbourne Art Fair website.
NotFair
14 to 17 August 2014
12 Peel Street, Collingwood (view location on Google Maps)
The Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood (view location on Google Maps)
Free
Established in 2010 as a satellite art fair to the Melbourne Art Fair, NotFair maintains a unique structure. Rather than being managed and curated by commercial galleries, as is the traditional approach, NotFair is curated to the highest professional standards on the basis solely of artistic merit.
Tight and independent curatorial direction within an art fair structure enhances the provenance of each artist's career, and provides NotFair greater scope to become a satellite to major art fairs around the globe.
Artists exhibiting in the Not Fair are:
- Aly Aitken
- Ben Aitken
- Mary Barton
- Sarah Berners
- Drasko Boljevic
- Barbara Bolt
- Nyah Isabel Cornish
- Jessica Curry
- Christopher Dolman
- Sarah Duyshart
- Danny Frommer
- Harley Grundy
- Megan Hales
- Hari Ho
- Talitha Kennedy
- Daniel McCabe
- Murray McKeich
- Emme Orbach
- John Pastoriza-Pinol
- Peter Thomas
- Dean Thompson
- Paul Williams
- Siying Zhou.
Preview Thursday 14th, 6pm to 8pm
Friday and Saturday 11am to 6pm
Sunday 11am to 5pm
And, if you are not too exhausted by art, head to the gracious Hotel Windsor for...
SPRING 1883
14 to 17 August 2014
The Hotel Windsor
111 Spring Street, Melbourne (view location on Google Maps)
Free
SPRING 1883 is a new art fair which will present 20 galleries, each exhibiting in a suite at The Hotel Windsor in Naarm / Melbourne. The galleries that have been invited to exhibit are from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and United States, and they share a conceptual engagement, ensuring a high calibre event and an interesting dialogue between galleries, artists and collectors.
Enjoy!
The art of applying to art prizes
4 July 2014
It can be a full-time job entering art prizes.
The process is long:
- reading the rules and regulations
- considering the artwork
- making the artwork
- photographing the artwork
- labelling the artwork
- delivering the artwork
- and then there is the wait... waiting for the work to be short listed and then waiting for the winner to be announced.
The outcomes can be very rewarding – the golden ticks. A golden tick from the inner art world circle, a golden tick on the CV, a golden tick from the collectors and, of course, the golden dollars attached to each prize.
What happens if one's artwork is not selected? The artist feels rejected, insecurities set in and they question... "Why do I do this?", "Should I bother applying again?", "I'm not good enough or young enough to compete with the cool cats."
I have many dear friends who are going through this exact process and it is one that is tedious and laborious.
In July there are 3 major prizes that are being announced:
The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes are annual exhibitions supported by the
Art Gallery of NSW:
- The Archibald Prize, first awarded in 1921, is given to the best portrait painting. The Archibald Prize is a who's who of Australian culture – from politicians to celebrities, sporting heroes to artists.
- The Wynne Prize is awarded to the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figure sculpture.
- The Sulman Prize is given to the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project in oil, acrylic, watercolour or mixed media.
Each year, the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW judge the Archibald and Wynne Prizes, and they invite an artist to judge the Sulman Prize. In 2014 it is Jenny Watson.
It is also a busy time of the year for art couriers, as they deliver the works to the Art Gallery of NSW. While most art prizes in Australia allow the artists to submit their entries online, with the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman the works must be delivered to the Art Gallery of NSW to be viewed in the flesh by the judges.
The winners will be announced on 18 July and the highly anticipated exhibition can be viewed between 19 July and 28 September.
Hong Kong: a week full of art (and more)
20 May 2014
I have just returned from Hong Kong, where I spent a week enjoying the Art Basel Hong Kong 2014, having great food and searching for new coffee shops!
Art fair or biennale? Personally I prefer the biennale to the commercial art fair. However, it's always good to see these different events, and I think there is a place for both.
I love the satellite exhibitions and openings, and discovering different spaces and pop up venues. Hong Kong had many brunches and pop up bars on the 2014 program – it's always worth researching it to fully enjoy the experience.
I also love to debrief and people watch over a glass of wine or two (interesting to see the type of people who attend an art fair and what work attracts the eye of the buyers or collectors).
Highlight – And what did I enjoy the most? The sector called Encounters (there were 6 exhibition sectors: Galleries, Insights, Discoveries, Encounters, Film and Magazines).
"Encounters section is dedicated to presenting large-scale sculpture and installation works by leading artists from around the world. Encounters provides visitors with the opportunity to see works that transcend the traditional art fair stands. The sector presents these works in prominent locations throughout the exhibition halls."
Yuko Hasegawa, Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and Curator of the Sharjah Biennial 11, curated Encounters.
The standout piece for me was Automated Colour Field (Variation V) by Perth-based artist Rebecca Baumann. The work consists of a grid of 132 split-panel flip clocks, each with the number cards replaced with cards of solid colour.
In this movement, this flipping, Baumann recognises the potential for suspense and expectation. We watch and wait, desiring to witness the moments when change occurs (watch how the installation works on YouTube).
I first viewed Baumann's work at Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) NEW11 exhibition in 2011, and it was wonderful to see it again.
Time flew and suddenly I was back in the new Qantas lounge at the Hong Kong airport chatting to other Melbournians who had also enjoyed a week of art!
Meet the Makers is back to Fitzroy and Collingwood
12 March 2014
Meet the Makers is back!
The first edition of the event, in 2013, was such a success, with all activities at full capacity, that I was fortunate to be awarded another grant from the City of Yarra.
I curated the 2014 edition to incorporate different spaces, studios and mediums, while continuing to be a great program for all in the community to participate.
This year Meet the Makers welcomes its first international artist, Ryan F Kennedy. Kennedy was walk-to-art's first New York artist in a residence, back in 2009.
You can meet him at Fehily Contemporary (Collingwood) on Friday 28 March. This and all the other activities (view program below) are free and bookings are essential. Reserve your spot early so as not to miss out!
When: Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 March
What: A weekend of inspiring art events
Where: Fitzroy and Collingwood
How much: All free
Bookings: Essential (limited places); wisit Meet the Makers' website for details
What is Meet the Makers?
- An oportunity to spread the word about unique individuals who make the City of Yarra cultural and diverse.
- A carefully curated weekend of 9 events in studios, independent spaces and businesses in Fitzroy and Collingwood.
- A way of providing people with knowledge of art practices and processes through activities in which the participant can meet the maker and gain a greater understanding of artists, art spaces and creative businesses.
2014 program
iPad drawing by Rebecca Jones: meet the artist on Friday
Thursday 27 March
6pm–8pm – Strange Neighbour (Fitzroy) – Sarah Duyshart (visual artist – installation)
Friday 28 March
6pm–7pm – Redbox Studio (Collingwood) – Rebecca Jones (visual artist – iPad drawing)
7pm–8pm – Fehily Contemporary (Collingwood) – Ryan F Kennedy (visual artist – weaving installation)
Saturday 29 March
12pm–2pm – Slopes (Fitzroy) – Artist Market curated by Jared Davis
2pm–3pm – Gertrude Contemporary (Fitzroy) – Jess Johnson (visual artist)
5pm–6pm – Porcelain Bear (Collingwood) – Gregory Bonasera (ceramic artist)
Sunday 30 March
2pm–3pm – Studio (Collingwood) – Chloe Vallance (visual artist)
3pm–4pm – Second Story Studios (Collingwood) – Regan Tamanui or Haha (visual artist – stenciling)
4pm–5pm – Strange Neighbour (Fitzroy) – Sarah Duyshart (visual artist – installation)
Work by Chloe Valance: meet the artist on Sunday
Visit Meet the Makers' website for details and booking information.
The City of Yarra and Liquorice Studios proudly support Meet the Makers 2014.
See you there!
Biennale's highlight: visually, conceptually and structurally outstanding
31 October 2013
October has been a wonderful visual month. I had the opportunity to explore Italy's La Biennale di Venezia – International Art Exhibition once again, and an overload of images keeps popping into my mind.
The experience of going to Venice is like no other, even after having been there many times before. The reason Venice holds a special place in my heart is the locals! Their knowledge of where to reside away from the massive tour groups who take over the small lanes of this magical city is gold.
My walk-to-art group was fabulous (no dramas and no Louis Vuitton cases without wheels to carry), and we all had 3 passions in common: exploring art, drinking prosecco and eating baccala (salted cod).
But let's talk about art. The highlights for me were Chile, Russia, Portugal, New Zealand and of course the hidden pavilions in disused palazzos.
The Chilean Pavilion, which was a site-specific installation by artist Alfredo Jaar, was visually, conceptually and structurally outstanding. It was silent yet loud in critically commenting on the Biennale organisational structure for exhibiting art.
All people from all walks of life watched, engaged and participated, as they viewed an army green model of the 28 pavilions from the Giardini della Biennale rise from the depths of the water (identical army green) to then sink beneath and disappear.
This work had so many layers; it was simple in approach, complicated in technique and creative in conceptual execution.
Is it worth going to La Biennale? Always.
Are the expensive Bellini at Harry's Bar worth it? Absolutely!
Until the next Biennale... Ciao!
NGV: a commitment to Melbourne's contemporary art and design
10 September 2013
Under the new direction of Tony Ellwood, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is being revitalised, embracing contemporary art and design, and reflecting on art in Naarm / Melbourne and art in our community.
Melbourne Now opens in November 2013 and will run to March 2014. The exhibition will:
- cover contemporary art, design, architecture and fashion
- feature 130 local artists and 30 curators
- be located at its 2 locations – St Kilda Road and Federation Square.
This is a huge project and one that will bring the Melbourne scene to the state gallery. There will be associated forums, public and media events, plus talks by various artists. The public will be able to participate and enjoy a very different experience that will hopefully create a great deal of enjoyment for all.
Represented and unrepresented artists are participating, and it will be great to view works from artists such as Laith McGregor and Lauren Berkowitz (photo).
Since 2006 walk-to-art has taken thousands of people to exhibition openings and art spaces, educating the wider community on the richness that Melbourne has to offer.
Instead of the usual blockbusters, such as Monet or Dali, for which the NGV is so renowned, the state gallery is being ambitious and showing a commitment to Melbourne's contemporary art and design – and this is very exciting.
Melbourne Now
National Gallery of Victoria
NGV International
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne (view location on Google Maps)
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
Federation Square (view location on Google Maps)
Daily from 10am to 5pm, except Mondays and Christmas Day
22 November 2013 to 23 March 2014
Free entry
Art in changing times: commercial galleries and collector groups
31 July 2013
Melbourne has a busy and interesting arts scene all year round, but, during winter, it takes effort to step out into the cold nights and head to a forum or opening. This month the focus seemed to be on the commercial gallery and collector groups.
On 21 July I attended The Local Collection public forum at Fehily Contemporary, in Collingwood. Then, on 24 July, the night of Nite Art (when more than 20 commercial, independent and artist run spaces in the CBD and North Melbourne welcomed the public), I went to a forum at West Space titled "Is the Gallery Space Dead?"
Both events were interesting with panels consisting of collectors, art dealers, online galleries, artists and curators. In both forums participants highlighted the fact that the art world in Australia and selling art has changed and has been changing over the past 5 years or more.
- Art spaces no longer can rely on the exhibitions or even the stock room.
- Commercial spaces are sharing resources, joining forces and also including project spaces.
- Art fairs have become another expense, but also another platform to a wider international audience and source of income.
Art fairs such as Auckland Art Fair (7 to 11 August 2013), Sydney Contemporary (19 to 22 September 2013) and Hong Kong Art Basel (15 to 18 May 2014) are a fun way to explore and visually learn.
A collector group is also a great way to learn, and to purchase art if you don't wish to do it alone.
- A collector group is a group of 12 to 15 people who have an interest in art.
- Each member contributes dollars at the start and continues to contribute over a period of 7 to 10 years.
- The group meets around 4 times a year with a few events in between.
- The work is rotated every 6 months between each member's home.
- When the group concludes everyone gets to share in the collection.
Interested in being part of a collector group? Contact with Fehily Contemporary. They recently exhibited "Celebrating A Collection Half-Finished", showcasing the art acquired by The Local Collection so far, an example of what a collector group can accomplish. "Ambassador Beard", by Abdul Abdullah, was among the artworks.
Art as a visual journey of one's life
21 June 2013
It takes a little while to "come down" after being in New York City. I start to have flashbacks as I reflect on the amazing works and spaces that my group of art explorers and I saw during the most recent walk-to-art New York, in May and June. It takes a little while to digest everything completely, and I have to be careful as I seem to start my sentences with "in NYC..."
The 2013 edition of walk-to-art NY was fabulous and I am incredible grateful to have wonderful participants – enthusiastic, open and patient – as we trekked all over Manhattan and Brooklyn.
One afternoon we had a special visit to The Elizabeth Foundation to see the work and studio space of Tamiko Kawata. A generous, gentle and intelligent artist, she has dedicated her time to the creation of beautiful wearable art, sculptures and installations. Tamiko creates her works through experimenting with materials that reflect her life and thoughts. Small, unpretentious and valueless things from daily life often become the primary medium. Tamiko looks for another language, energy, chaos and harmony, within quiet stillness.
I was fascinated by the Safety Pin Series in which Tamiko spends hours threading pins together to form wearable art and sculptural structures. Coming from Japan, Tamiko had never seen or used a safety pin before arriving in the United States. The artist used to fold everything before her first child was born. What a pleasure to listen to her journey, from a young adult landing in New York, finding work, meeting her husband, learning a new language and understanding what a hot dog was to her senior years as a practicing and exhibiting artist in this wonderful city.
The Safety Pin Series has become part of a continuous body of work. Tamiko imports pins from Japan and spends hours constructing her art. "I came from Japan in my young adult life, and I feel my works are often intuitive reactions to the American life that I have happily adopted; my art making is a visual journey of my life.
"Observing our environment is an exciting daily practice, and nature's phenomena... such as water, mist, shadows, wind are strong inspirations to form my works."
We all walked away thrilled to have met Tamiko. That afternoon she not only shared her studio space and her art with us... Tamiko shared her spirit and her passion.
As I wrote, it takes a little while to "come down" after being in New York City. However, it takes no time to fall in love with it. Over and over again.
Art travellers: overseas or in your own city
14 May 2013
It's that time of the year again (and it's fortunately been like this since 2008): I am about to hop on a plane and head to the United States for walk-to-art New York.
So this is time to re-search artists, studios and art spaces, and read cultural online newsletters. Friends have emailed new places and must go bars... and I'm trying to catch up with the latest eateries and coffee shops. All of this needs to go into the little black book before I leave Naarm / Melbourne!
If you are not joining our group this year (I hope you can make it in 2014), but would like to go overseas to enjoy art, how about Asia? If I were not going to NYC my destination would be the Hong Kong International Art Fair, between 23 and 26 May. This is the first edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong.
There will be a number of Australian galleries there and it is a fabulous way to engage in the international art scene – you can get an an overview of what's happening around the world in just 3 days! Art fairs are interesting not only because significant galleries are invited to participate, but also local galleries tend to curate strong exhibits to attract the art lovers in town.
If you have no plans to travel, why not be a traveller in your own city? These are great shows to see in Melbourne:
Anna Finlayson – Shhh (The Hexagon Trip)
Sarah Scout Presents
Level 1, 1a Crossley Street, Melbourne (view location on Google Maps)
Thursday and Friday, 11am to 5pm; Saturday, 12pm to 5pm
Until 18 May
Rhys Lee – Still I'd Sea (image above)
Utopian Slumps
Ground floor, 33 Guildford Lane, Melbourne (view location on Google Maps)
Wednesday to Saturday, 12pm to 6pm
Until 25 May
Ben Quilty – The Fiji Wedding
Tollarno Galleries
Level 4, 104 Exhibition Street, Melbourne (view location on Google Maps)
Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 5pm; Saturday, 1pm to 5pm
Until 1 June
White Night Melbourne: art from dusk to dawn
20 February 2013
This Saturday, 23 February, from 7pm to 7am, White Night comes to Melbourne. White Night started in France in 2001 and has been to Brussels, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Toronto, Paris and Rome.
What is White Night?
From dusk to dawn you will be able to enjoy more than 80 free events celebrating music, food, film, art and light, with more than 300 artists across 40 sites.
The event's program can be collected around town and is also available on the White Night Melbourne website.
These are some of the sites where many visual and performing artists will be:
- St Paul's Cathedral
- Forum Theatre
- State Library of Victoria
- Flinders Street Station
- The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
- Degraves Street
- Flinders Lane.
Trams will run all night, and Melbourne's CBD will be active with light projections, music and performances till 7am.
Enjoy!