OBSERVER: Arts Column with Peter Kemp
Image Economics.
In a visual landscape where images proliferate and morph in virtual growth capable of swaying elections, mobilising mass movements and influencing identities and social norms, Image Economics offers a timely reappraisal of how the digital, networked world permeates our offline lives.
The digital tools and systems that generate, store or process data – along with the mechanisms for image production and trade – have transformed how we interact, consume media and tell stories.
These processes also contribute to the way we think about value of an image.
The artists presented in Image Economics examine how images reflect and shape our perception of the world in an increasingly mediated reality.
Featuring new commissions and existing works by 17 artists and collectives from across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region, including works drawn from the Monash University Collection, the exhibition examines materiality, identity, data sovereignty, authenticity and the circulation of digital assets.
Exhibition closes April 17.
MUMA 50, Building F
Caulfield Campus
Princes Hwy, Caulfield
At Upwey
On the Wing – Jessie Yvette Journoud-Ryan
Step into a world of intricate sculptures and freestanding pieces that celebrate the vibrant birdlife of the Dandenong Ranges.
On the Wing is a stunning tribute to the charm beauty, and quirks of our beloved backyard birds.
Crafted from a rich tapestry of European, Japanese and Australian antique ware. Alongside hand-sculpted and painted ceramics. Each bird portrait captures their unique personalities, striking plumage and lively sprit.
Here’s to their bold colours, curious ways, the rhythms of their wings, and elegance of their strut. Exhibition closes Sunday March 23.
Free Exhibition Wednesday to Sunday. 10am-4pm.
Burrinja Gallery
351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey
Hawthorn
Seasonal Shifts
Tracing the rhythms of life, memory, identity, and human influence on the environment, Seasonal Shifts is a group exhibition presenting artists whose works unveil our multifaced relationship with the passage of time and our natural surroundings.
As observes of nature we bear witness to moments of seasonal change and the beauty and unpredictability of our environment.
We feel the impact of natural forces on our minds and bodies, and actions.
A favourite flower, the smell of rain, or a familiar rock formation can become markers of experience, a record of our personal histories told through objects and places.
As time unfolds, we see the traces we leave behind and the ways human presence alters the landscape, both subtle and drastic, temporary and permanent.
Exhibition closes Saturday April 26.
Healing Garden – Hiromi Tanga
Experience the transformative power of art and community with Healing Gardens by Hiromi Tanga. As part of the Seasonal Shifts exhibition, you are invited to create beautiful flowers and compare them to artwork displayed on the walls of the Town Hall Gallery.
Renowned for exploring the connection between art and wellbeing, Hiromi Tanga invites gallery visitors to create intricate, nature-inspired blooms from upcycled textiles and materials.
Participate in guided sessions or enjoy crafting your own pace, adding to an evolving, immersive garden installation.
This project embodies the therapeutic potential of art, fostering mindfulness through tactile activities like wrapping, binding and knotting.
Exhibition closes Saturday April 26.
Town Hall Gallery
360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
Peter Kemp