Melbourne Art Fair patrons. Image: Courtesy Melbourne Art Fair
Gertrude Contemporary studio artist Bridie Lunney is among a select group of emerging artists to present experimental works at this year’s Melbourne Art Fair (MAF) Project Rooms.
Gertrude Contemporary Senior Curator Jacqueline Doughty said Lunney’s installation, There is a way, if we want, into everything, would embody installation, sculpture and performance art. ‘She uses sculpture and performance as a way to demonstrate how our bodies are conduits between the physical world, and emotional and psychological selves.’
‘We thought in this context it would be good to reflect a strong interdisciplinary trend in the visual arts at the moment, the way that many contemporary visual arts are engaging with dance and live action, and dematerialising the art object into a series of activities and encounters,’ she said.
Doughty hopes the piece will encourage the viewer to consider their body in context to the objects around them, and challenge the boundaries that exist between the viewer and the object they’re looking at. ‘They become implicated and a part of the installation. It’s a different way of looking at art, and it was important for us to present this kind of practice,’ she said.
Participating in the durational work is Torie Nimmervoll, Lily Paskas, and Shelley Lasica, who will interact with the objects and the space in different ways from perching, sitting, undertaking simple task-like actions and even sleeping. ‘Their presence in the space is transformative and engaging for the viewer. People are transfixed by the performers.’
Doughty said the MAF Project Rooms is a pivotal part of the Melbourne Art Foundation and the Fair’s commitment to introducing new forms of art to a large, general audience. ‘In a context that by its definition is commercial and object focused, the Project Rooms provide a space for not-for-profit arts organisations to present experimental art practices that challenge ideas about what art can be.’
Doughty said previous works by Gertrude Contemporary to feature in the MAF Project Rooms have always endeavoured to challenge object-based understandings of art. ‘In an environment primarily focused on objects and sales, we aim to present installations that immerse and involve the viewer.’
‘To be able to do this in such a high-profile context, and for such large audiences is very exciting.’
There is a way, if we want, into everything will feature at the Melbourne Art Fair Project Rooms, Royal Exhibition Building from 13 to 17 August, 2014.
Visit the Melbourne Art Fair website for more information.
