Investigating the personal, political and psychological dimensions of contemporary Australia, the ‘2014 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art digs’ into the hearts and minds of the nation with ‘Dark Heart’.
Over 25 of Australia’s leading contemporary artists explore our nation’s cultural identity through photography, painting, sculpture, installation and the moving image. Such artists include Brook Andrew, Del Kathryn Barton, Martin Bell, Ian Burns, eX de Medici, Julia deVille, Dale Frank, Tony Garifalakis, Fiona Hall, Bill Henson, Brendan Huntley, Kulata Project – Tjala Arts, Richard Lewer, Dani Marti, Trent Parke, Patricia Piccinini, Ben Quilty, Caroline Rothwell, Alexander Seton, Sally Smart, Ian Strange, Warwick Thornton, Lynette Wallworth in a collaborative project with Martumili artists, as well as Ah Xian.
According to Art Gallery of South Australia Director and Biennial curator, Nick Mitzevich, the 2014 Adelaide Biennial will be, “an inherently emotional and immersive exhibition, one that explores the underbelly of contemporary culture.” ‘Dark Heart’ becomes a narrative telling the story of Australia’s dark past and encounters the fabric of modern Australian society through the vast assemblage of works on display.
The work of Ben Quilty attempts to push the viewer to ‘see’ or recognise themselves and their place in Australian culture by reassessing our dark colonial past, whilst artist eX de Medici focuses on more severe and dark matters of our humanity. Tony Garifalakis presents a “contemplative and menacing series” looking at political leaders; male artists from Tjala Arts are working on a project exploring masculinity through artmaking, and
Julia deVille is inspired by her feelings of being an outcast as a child in her installation that combines jewellery-making with taxidermy.
Dani Marti’s visceral work explores identity through interwoven shadows, highlighting both light and darkness. These works have a strong inflection of portraiture and resemble swatches of fabric that capture personalities, moods and emotions. As such, they recall the intimacy of fabric in contact with the body and represent not only states of feelings but also regimes of class, power and self.
These works and others explore the issues and ideas of intercultural relationships, our ecological fate, gender, history and political power, educating and informing the public about contemporary Australian art and its significance in our cultural identity – both individual and collective – and vice versa.
Mitzevich’s commitment to engaging visitors in difficult conversations regarding these issues has resulted in the accompanying Biennial catalogue, further investigating the difficult and discordant themes of the exhibition with a feature essay by one of Australia’s most controversial expatriates, Germaine Greer.
Overtly populist, ‘Dark Heart’ tells the story of the history of Australian society and attempts to create meaning of the world we live in through inherently emotional work, drawing from the inner depths of a darkened past to shed light on Australian society today.
Art Gallery of South Australia
1 March to 11 May, 2014
Adelaide
Dani Marti, ARMOUR, ‘Folly of Fear’, 2012–13, rope, rubber and leather, 340 x 170cm (d)
Courtesy ARC ONE Gallery, Melbourne and Greenaway Art Gallery, Adelaide
Brook Andrew, Australia I, 2013, mixed media on Belgian linen, 200 x 300 x 5cm
Courtesy the artist and Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne
