EXPRESS EDITION. Archie Moore’s kith and kin has opened at the Venice Biennale. Curated by Ellie Buttrose, the work reflects on the nature and strength of First Nations Australian kinship that spans more than 65,000 years, and incorporates the land, water and all living things. Drawing on Archie's Kamilaroi, Bigambul, British and Scottish heritage, the installation embodies his enduring exploration of history and identity, which are central themes in his artistic practice spanning over 30 years.  This episode features comments from the launch, as well as insights from the artist and the curator, along with Creative Australia’s Franchesca Cubillo, and Aboriginal elder, writer and arts elder statesman Djon Mundine OAM speaking about the impact of First Nations' art presented at the Venice Biennale. A transcript of this episode is available HERE thanks to the Australian Arts Channel. kith and kin online: https://www.kithandkin.me/ Creative Australia at the Venice Biennale: https://creative.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/events/australia-at-the-venice-biennale/venice-biennale-2024/ Australia at the Venice Biennale Instagram page:  https://www.instagram.com/ausatvenice/

Donna Marcus, a multidisciplinary artist, discusses her artistic background and her use of kitchenware and cooking pots in her work. In conversation with curator Professor Pedram Khosronejad, she explains how she became fascinated with aluminum objects, particularly lightweight aluminum objects, and the stories and narratives they hold. Covering her public artworks and how they inform her studio practice. Donna explores the significance of aluminum as a material of modernism and its connection to post-war period and domesticity. Her work is currently on exhibition at HOTA Gallery, which showcases her installations and explores themes of feminism, migration, and consumption, and also at Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert (23 March until the 5 May 2024) which features a colour study of works and older pieces from her collection. An in-person artist talk between Donna Marcus and Prof Pedram Khosronejad is sheduled for 3pm, 23 March 2024 at Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert. A transcript of this podcast episode is available HERE thanks to the contribution from the Australian Arts Channel.

When the drive to create takes a turn and propels the artistic compulsion into another direction. This episode features US based actor and now designer Darren Burrows revealing his inspiration, his history, and the balance between performance, life, and the art of design. Discussing the phenomenon of an artist known for one talent, but now channelling that creative ability into a different but equally artistic practice, Tim Stackpool explores Darren's further craft: ornate and detailed metal engraving, and hand-crafted jewellery set with gems that are truly exquisite works of art. Some of the detail is so fine, it takes a microscope to create. Darren's Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MetalManiacArt His latest film Magpie Funeral is available on Tubi and YouTube, as well as Prime Video. A transcript of this discussion is available HERE. Transcripts are made possible by the support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Drawn from a partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and loans from the National Gallery of Australia and private lenders across the country, Emerging from Darkness: Faith, Emotion and The Body in the Baroque brings together some of the most important European works in Australia for the first time. Also exploring the few women artists of the period, NGV curator Laurie Benson discusses this rare opportunity to see these Baroque works, only at Hamilton Gallery, along with the significance of such a collection in Australia, and the incredible influence the Baroque era had on the arts worldwide.  A transcript of the conversation in this episode is available HERE, made possible thanks to the contribution from the Australian Arts Channel.

"It began as a vague sense of unease, unconnected to anything in particular. Ordinary objects of the built environment began to take on a threatening demeanour, looming over the bright and baking streets." Created by artists Heidi Axelsen and Hugo Moline, The Dance of the Remediators at The Lock Up in Newcastle is an archive of a possible future; a materialised dream sequence of people being called into action by coal’s humble living relatives.  The artists discuss any cognitive dissonance of honouring the history of coal while also evoking a visual reminder that it is not always a thing to be feared. The large-scale work examines society’s relationship to energy, and recognises coal’s long photosynthetic toil and its living relatives of mosses and ferns. A transcript of this conversation can be downloaded here, made possible with the support from the Australian Arts Channel.

2024 marks 150 years since the birth of Impressionism, the movement that revolutionised art. During the 1860s, a group of artists, nicknamed “the Batignolles group”, regularly met at the Café Guerbois in Paris. Deviating from the academic style, these artists, which were all refused at the Salon de Paris, decided to create their own exhibition in the spring of 1874 at the studio of their photographer friend, Nadar, on the boulevard des Capucines. The inauguration took place on April 15, 1874. Critically panned at the time, today Impressionism is one of the great phases of pictorial art, having now conquered the whole world.  In this episode, writer, curator and broadcaster Julie Ewington speaks with Tim Stackpool about the birth of the movement, its relevance today, and about her leading a Renaissance Tour through the regions of France that influenced the Impressionists, and continues to inspire artists today. A transcript of this edition is available here, thanks to support from the Australian Arts Channel.

The Art Gallery of Western Australia and SPACED present Rural Utopias at The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) from 25 November 2023. Rural Utopias features new works by 10 artists from across Australia, developed over a series of residencies in rural and remote Western Australia, in dialogue with selected objects from AGWA’s $361 million State Art Collection. In collaboration with their host communities, artists lived and worked within their residency locations responding to the overarching curatorial theme of “Rural Utopias” to deliver context-responsive and socially engaged art. SPACED Rural Utopias Curator, Miranda Johnson, speaks with Inside The Gallery's Tim Stackpool about the extended journey of the exhibition, the manner in which the artists were affected by the residencies, and how SPACED works with galleries to deliver unique and contemplative exhibitions. A transcript of this edition is available to download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

We’re invited, by the Australian Museum to transport ourselves back 3,300 years, across the sands of the Sahara Desert to reach the heartbeat of ancient Egypt ruled by the most celebrated pharaoh in the country's storied history. This is the opportunity to experience one of the greatest collections of its kind, in an Australian-first exhibition, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. This all-new multisensory museum experience provides visitors with a window into the life and accomplishments of Ramses II, more commonly known as Ramses the Great, who ruled Egypt for 67 years – the second longest reign for any pharaoh, living an astonishing 92 years. It’s exclusive to Sydney, and features 182 priceless artefacts including the sarcophagus of Ramses II - one of the most impressive royal coffins from ancient Egypt ever to be discovered – and there are other treasures too, and one-of-a-kind relics, some of which have actually never left Egypt before. Speaking about the exhibition, this edition of the podcast features museum director and CEO Kim McKay AO, curator Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt's Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities Dr Mostafa Waziry, and World Heritage Exhibitions VP Troy Collins.  A transcript of this edition is available to download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Sangeeta Sandrasegar’s art practice is centred on hybridity theories, and explores her life in Australia as an artist of Malaysian, Indian and Australian heritage, and the relationship between migrant communities and homelands. Her practice, including her highly regarded work with paper cutouts, has engaged with shadows as an ephemeral motif symbolising the movement of cultures and people. Recently too, Sangeeta’s work has involved the dying of large flowing fabric panels, with a particular focus on the nature and message of colours, particularly INDIGO Good friend of this podcast Pedram Khosronejad (Adjunct Professor at the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University) spoke to Sangeeta via Zoom, and asked her about the nature of her work, the strong international influences, and the manner by which curators, gallerists and artists work together.  Information about Sangeeta's work acquired by the Museum of Contemporary Art here: https://www.mca.com.au/artists-works/artists/sangeeta-sandrasegar/ A transcript of this interview is available for download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Artist and engineer Majid Rabet came to Australia via Indonesia, and was detained by Australian Immigration, firstly at Christmas Island, and then at Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney. While there - for two years - to help ease the anxiety of his situation, he put his skills and inspiration to work. Majid noticed discarded material in the refuse area of the Centre which he knew he could re-purpose into usable things. Majid Rabet made many other things to make his life, and the lives of his fellow detainees easier and more comfortable. Good friend of this podcast Pedram Khosronejad (Adjunct Professor at the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University) spoke to Majid at a recent exhibition, and asked about his journey, his work, and his plans for the future.  Majid's work acquired by the Powerhouse in Sydney is available to view here: https://collection.maas.museum/set/8217 Majid's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majrabet/?hl=en A transcript of this interview is available for download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Artists John Klein and Sally Ryan both separately chose Sydney designer and media presenter Claudia Chan Shaw as their subject for entry into this year's Archibald Art Prize. Hear how the artists differed in their approach to representing Claudia, how they prepared and undertook the sittings, and their impressions of each other's work. This year, 949 Archibald entries were received, with 57 selected for final judging, currently on display at the Art Gallery of NSW. A further 34 works not selected for the official exhibition are on curated display at S.H Ervin Gallery's Salon des Refusés. A transcript of this interview is available for download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Victoria’s TarraWarra Biennial is underway until mid-July, featuring works curated by Dr Léuli Eshrāghi, focusing on the interconnectedness of the peoples of Australia, Asia, and the Great Ocean. The exhibition is titled 'ua usiusi faʻavaʻasavili', a Sāmoan proverb which means ‘the canoe obeys the wind’. The proverb is demonstrative of Great Ocean celestial navigation practices, following centuries of European and Asian colonial occupations.  This episode features Dr Eshrāghi discussing the exhibition, their background, and identifying new trends in contemporary Australian art.  A transcript of this interview is available for download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Sydney gallery and art consultancy Curatorial+Co. is moving their physical gallery space to a new home in Woolloomooloo. Founder and gallery owner Sophie Vander speaks with Tim Stackpool about discovering the fortuitous new space, the change in image this might mean for the gallery, and about the evolution and challenges of managing a commercial gallery in 2023. The gallery features an expansive 150 square-metre exhibition space, measuring five metres in height, alongside an additional 150 square-metre storage and office space. It is fronted by 17 metres of glass, inviting passers-by to view Curatorial+Co.’s eclectic and ever-changing range of works, with displays evolving almost every week to showcase a variety of new artists. A transcript of this interview is available for download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Canadian contemporary artist Anthony Ricciardi has made a big impact these past few years, with collections being showcased globally in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Manchester, Montreal, Sao Paolo, and now in Sydney thanks to gallerist Louise Reilly at Audrey Fine Art. He has curated large-scale artwork and clothing for notable celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Bad Bunny, Post Malone, Shaquille O’Neill and many more. He's also collaborated with major brands such as Disney, Adidas, Coors Light and L’Oreal. But as Anthony tells Tim Stackpool, his story isn't typical. From Canada, he went to Alabama State University on a baseball scholarship, then spent five years working as an analyst for an investment fund, but decided to leave the comfort and security of corporate finance to pursue his art A transcript of this episode can be found here, made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

A new and immersive contemporary arts festival is scheduled for the picturesque South Coast town of Berry from June 22 to 25, 2023. OpenField Arts Festival will showcase contemporary art in and around the town in unique non-museum venues, including halls, community spaces and natural reserves. Festival Co-Director and acclaimed Australian musician Lenka Kripac, a local Shoalhaven resident, speaks with Tim Stackpool about the increasing numbers of artists and professionals moving to the region due to its unique beauty and lifestyle, and the increasing desire for cultural engagement. Fostered by a local group of creatives, the largely-free festival has already confirmed 21 high calibre artists, including critically acclaimed photo media artist and local resident Tamara Dean.  Other celebrated artists participating in the festival that have chosen to base themselves in the Shoalhaven include Glenn Barkley, Sophie Cape, Sarah Enright, Anna Glynn, James Gulliver Hancock, Bonnie Porter Green, and Michael Purdy. They will exhibit alongside visiting artists including Tina Fox, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, Jess MacNeil, and Emma Saunders. A transcript of this episode can be found here, made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Artist Archie Moore and curator Ellie Buttrose team up to present at the 2024 Venice Biennale. Announced by the soon to be re-named Australia Council, the artist becomes only the second solo First Nations artist to represent Australia at the world’s oldest international contemporary art event. In this edition of the podcast, we hear from the artist and the curator about working together, and about the inspiration behind working together. Drawing upon 25 years of practice, Archie Moore (Kamilaroi/Bigambul) is uniquely placed to confront Australia’s past and evocatively assert Indigenous sovereignty on a worldwide scale at the Venice Biennale. Exhibiting at the Venice Biennale provides a timely and critical opportunity for Archie’s practice, offering an artistic outcome that will emotionally connect international audiences with the imperative act of truth-telling. The Australia Council for the Arts is the commissioner for Australia’s National Participation at the Venice Biennale 2024 and the producer of the Australia at the Venice Biennale project. A transcript of this edition is available here, with thanks to support from the Australian Arts Channel

The Lighthouse Gallery at the Australian National Maritime Museum is transformed into a wonderland of projection and light showcasing the beauty of our oceans for the presentation called Shipwreck Odyssey. Two large-scale walls are illuminated with spectacular interactive projections to create a large immersive play space. The venue is fitted out with state-of-the-art projection and tracking technology that allows for individual interaction with the uniquely developed aquatic imagery. The presentation is the work of Box of Birds, a collective of artists, technologists and organisations who work together to create digital play spaces. This episode of the podcast speaks with the creative director of Shipwreck Odyssey David Clarkson. A transcript of this episode can be found here, made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, Charkha and Kargha at the Powerhouse Museum explores the role that textiles played in India’s movement towards independence from colonial rule. In addition to their beauty, many of the textiles included in the exhibition incorporate spinning, weaving, dyeing and embroidery techniques, featuring rare items that date back to the foundational collections of the Powerhouse acquired since the 1880s, some of which are on display to the public for the very first time.  Curator Professor Pedram Khosronejad guides Tim Stackpool through the exhibition and discusses the anthropologic and curatorial debate undertaken when staging an exhibition such as this. A transcript of this episode can be found here, made possible by support from the Australian Arts Channel.

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has received a generous gift of more than 600 Fred Williams' drawings, cementing the collection's international significance as the most comprehensive research collection of the artist in the world. The drawings are from the artist's London years, and this new exhibition and for the first time ever, explores the short though incredibly active period between 1952-56 when Fred Williams was living in the UK capital. NGV curator Cathy Leahy talks about the drawings, gouaches, and etchings that are on display, a revelation to many who know only of the artist's celebrated abstract landscape paintings. A transcript of this interview is available for download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by the support from the Australian Arts Channel.

The promised Female Future has arrived, radically reshaping practices in industrial, creative and social robotics across architecture, art, design and technology. But where do art, design and technology intersect? SHErobots at Tin Sheds Gallery features iconic and emerging examples of robotic tools, toys and companions from across the globe, and asks fundamental questions about the nature and processes of contemporary robotics through the lens of female perspectives. Curators Lian Loke and Deborah Turnbull Tillman discuss the blurred demarcation that the exhibition presents between art and technology, and about the practical aspects of one exhibition with three curators. A transcript of this interview is available for download HERE. The transcriptions are made possible by the support from the Australian Arts Channel.