From seeing these exhibitions, all these conceptual works of art are at odds with the heritage site of Bundoora Homestead. If viewed under the lens of institutional critique, the motivations behind these do make sense: All these exhibitions challenge colonial structures through environmentalism, anti-capitalism, queerness and femininity. All these messages are valid and do hold... Continue Reading →

The next, and last exhibition to see in the homestead is a collaborative exhibition, Arranging by Chance by Abbra Kotlarczyk and Briony Galligan. Works are primarily a mix of photography, drawing and found objects (though there are some written and verbal texts). However, none of these works are presented conventionally. Rather, they are all arranged... Continue Reading →

Pia de Bruyn's Female Trouble, much like the other exhibitions at Bundoora Homestead, takes on a conceptual form. A group of plush, red seats (reminiscent to that from a cinema) sit at the centre of the room, facing a white wall. A montage of various movie titles are stuck on the wall, the text with... Continue Reading →

Rest time is the first exhibition we saw after we went upstairs. Curated by Laura Couttie, Rest time itself is a timely theme, much like jpg Fossils. Instead of looking at the impact of technology on the environment, however, this is more of a statement on slowing down within a post-capitalist economy that normalises the... Continue Reading →

Corinna Berndt's jpg Fossils is a video installation made up of various parts. A metal frame supports four small screens that each show a different video. This set up is novel, the videos showcasing various scenes of nature, as well as written text. Part of the frame holds a flat, circular surface, upon which sits... Continue Reading →

It is not at all uncommon for heritage sites to be turned into gallery spaces. Melbourne especially has quite a few examples of this, not limited to the likes of Heide and Montsalvat. The Bundoora Homestead too, is a site with significant history. It was once the home of John Matthew Vincent Smith, a prominent... Continue Reading →

I've often believed that well-curated exhibitions must be accessible, easy to understand and memorable to audiences. The artwork has to be central, because that is what people come to see. If an exhibition is curated successfully, audiences will have come from it remembering the work, the curating being seamless and a behind-the scenes (albeit, significant)... Continue Reading →

If you have been following this blog for a while, you will be familiar with my stance on blockbuster exhibitions and can skip the remainder of this paragraph. If not, welcome and keep reading on. When I refer to blockbuster exhibitions, I'm more referring to grand scale exhibitions, mostly put on by major (often state... Continue Reading →

Recently I had the privilege of visiting Heide's most recent large-scale photography exhibition, Man Ray and Max Dupain. This is located in the Heide Main Galleries, downstairs Heide III, the largest building on the site. Given the success of the Lee Miller photography exhibition earlier this year, it is good to see that Heide's curatorial... Continue Reading →

As someone who follows many different art institutions on social media, exhibition advertisements are inescapable. Even peers who are not as interested as art, will no doubt be familiar with one of NGV's blockbusters, or have gone to them personally. Posing in front of a work at the NGV for an Instagram post or reel... Continue Reading →