Artist Minna Gilligan Image: Selina Ou
Melbourne artist Minna Gilligan invites adults to channel their inner child as a section of the Royal Exhibition Building is transformed for this year’s Melbourne Art Fair (MAF) Creative Space.
Gilligan said the psychedelic-inspired installation would feature eight large-scale fabric collages with a dedicated section encouraging visitors to add their own contribution to the artwork. ‘I’ve have some tables in the centre with textas, scissors and lots and lots of old magazines and source of material for people to cut up and use to make their own work.’
‘I have been collecting a bunch of National Geographic magazines and books and stuff. I’m trying to curate what the children [will] use. I have my own kind of aesthetic which is generally based from the ’60s and ’70s. I am using a lot of imagery from that time period.
‘I’m going to get an Instagram thing going, where people can upload tags of what they’ve made in the space and can then view it. I’ll be documenting it on my profile as well,’ she said.
The MAF Creative Space is among 100 events, workshops and public lectures to feature across the five days of the Fair, which is now entering its 25th year in conjunction with Melbourne Art Week.
Gilligan said that the MAF Creative Space would appeal to both children and adults for its playful ’70s aesthetic. ‘It’s attractive to children and adults because it’s nostalgic,’ she said.
Equally, the MAF Creative Space comes alive with a curated soundtrack inspired by musician David McDairmid, whose most exhibition When This You See Remember Me is currently featured at the NGV. ‘I’m going to have a soundtrack playing all the time,’ said Gilligan
Held at the spectacular Royal Exhibition Building, Gilligan said the experience and atmosphere of the Fair was an exciting and important platform for all visual arts professionals. ‘There’s so much to see and take in, that it’s hard to view works without the fashion of other people’s works. But I like that – it’s very intense and busy.
‘I’m looking forward to meeting people, working with people and making things. I want to make the most of the fact that a lot of people will be there.
Gilligan hopes that visitors will be able to inject some colour into their experience and have something that they can take away from the Fair. ‘I’m just kind of factoring my imagery into people’s lives. I’m really into that.’
The Melbourne Art Fair Creative Space will held at the Royal Exhibition Building from 13 to 17 August.
Visit theMelbourne Art Fair website for further information.
