Spectacle Obstactle - Firstdraft Gallery
AV Bell - Rimington Diagram, 2011
- 116-118 Chalmers St. Surry Hills NSW 2010
Exhibition opens: Wednesday 27th April 2011, 6-8pm
Exhibition continues: to Sunday 15th May 2011
Artist talks: Sunday 15th May 2011 at 4pm
Curated By Superkaleidoscope (part of Firstdraft’s Emerging Curators Program)
Artists: Greta Alfaro, Justin Balmain, Rebecca Baumann, Michaela Gleave, Pia Van Gelder
On the 27th April 2011 Firstdraft Gallery will launch the interdisciplinary exhibition SPECTACLE/OBSTACLE, curated by SuperKaleidoscope. The exhibition is a part of Firstdraft’s Emerging Curators Program and showcases the work of emerging Australian artists Justin Balmain, Rebecca Baumann, Michaela Gleave and Pia Van Gelder, alongside the work of emerging Spanish artist Greta Alfaro.
SPECTACLE/OBSTACLE analyses and critiques the concept of the spectacle. The exhibition examines the brighter and darker facets of spectacle such as the spectacular versus the real, the origins of the spectacle as a captivating event and the spectacle as a means of capturing sensations of joy and delight. The exhibition brings together installation, kinetic sculpture, sound, video and performance.
SuperKaleidoscope is an arts initiative that was established in Berlin, 2010 by Co-directors and visual artists Kim Fasher and Sarah Mosca, with the assistance of new media artist Jordana Maisie. The initiative is supported by the Australia Council for the Arts and provides a platform for artists to show innovative work in and outside the parameters of the gallery space through special projects in both Australia and abroad.
Greta Alfaro (UK/ES) has exhibited in Mexico, Spain, Norway, the UK and the USA. She was recently chosen to take part in the Bloomberg New Contemporaries exhibition in London. Justin Balmain (AUS) has exhibited in galleries throughout Australia such as MOP Projects, Sydney and Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney. Beginning his candidature at Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin, New Zealand, he is currently completing his Master of Fine Arts at COFA, Sydney. Rebecca Baumann (AUS) has recently returned from making work in Berlin, Germany and Poznan, Poland. She has exhibited at a variety of institutions throughout Australia including PICA, Perth and ACCA, Melbourne where she took part in the NEW 11 exhibition. Michaela Gleave (AUS) has recently returned from residencies in Germany and Iceland and is now artist in residence at Artspace, Sydney. She has exhibited in major exhibitions including, Primavera 09 at the MCA, Sydney and the 2010 Next Wave Festival, Melbourne. Gleave is currently a board member at both Runway Magazine and The Free Association. Pia Van Gelder (AUS) is the Overlord of Dorkbot Sydney, a lecturer of Time Based Art at COFA, Sydney and is currently on the board of directors at Serial Space. She has exhibited extensively throughout Sydney and several of her performances have been included in the Electrofringe Festival, Newcastle.