Page 425 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 10 February 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
has emerged from this is their very first exhibition. On the one hand, it is an exhibition that is completely diverse, with each artist exhibiting entirely different work. On the other hand, there is a real thread or narrative to the works, where each artist has applied a different perspective, and through largely different media, to reflect on the challenges of our current world, whether through humour or introspection, or simply looking at something in a different way.
In the neighbouring gallery is Stephen Harrison’s You Want It Darker. This exhibition pushes the boundaries of darkness and also what we think might be possible with art. There were intricate sculptures of lighthouses and World War II era planes made of found rusted material. There was a 17-metre wall hanging which stretched across three walls of the gallery—a horizontal wall hanging, not vertical—an inked stream of dark thought, the unreal, dreams, dark dreams. I came back to this piece time and again.
Belco Arts also has been hosting Warehouse Circus’s Interrobang, which many of us in this place were lucky enough to attend. This was their 30th birthday show, and what a show. That young people can achieve the feats they do—complex aerobatics, aerial feats, juggling—captured my attention. The show had me somehow laughing and also holding my breath at the same time during some of the stunts. What impressed me most, and I think all of us, was the camaraderie, how well each artist complemented the other, how they worked together. And no matter what happened, the show went on.
What I loved about each of these shows is how well they showed off, in different ways, the finally completed arts centre and why the investment was necessary.
Saturday marked the highly anticipated celebration of 92-year-old Jack Featherstone’s work at Tuggeranong Arts Centre. A Braidwood resident for 20 years, Jack has been painting for about 70. This brought together his many years of work—portraits of place, capturing moments and movements, life and a life. What made this extra special is that Tuggeranong Arts Centre commissioned an essay by Jack’s son, acclaimed writer Nigel Featherstone, and a deep video dive into who Jack is by documentary artist Ana Georgia. This provides new lenses, and deeply special ones, through which to engage with and explore Jack and his decades of work. Jack’s work is described by many as joyful, and to have so much of it together in the one place is a delight.
Finally, I cannot go past congratulating Genesis Owusu and Peking Duk for their outstanding results in the Triple J Hottest 100, and to Hands Like Houses for making it into the Hottest 200. These are pretty remarkable achievements to even be there as Australian artists, let alone as Canberra artists. We have a lot to be proud of in the arts scene in this city.
Canberra Business Woman of the Year award
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (4.38): I rise today to recognise the incredible achievement of businesswomen in the Canberra community who were recognised recently through the Canberra Women in Business Business Woman of the Year
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video