NEWS
[HOLDING] SPACE EXHIBITION
Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf
opening 6pm Wed 6 March - 17 March
Sammy Hawker, space_3 (the physical universe beyond the earth's atmosphere), 2024
How does a space communicate? What exists in ‘empty’ space? Topographically, a harbour (noun) is a holding space – a body of water protected from the wind, waves and ocean currents that churn beyond; deep enough to allow anchorage. To harbour (verb) is to keep a thought or feeling, especially secretly. Sydney harbour is a holding space of secrets and memories; the residue of its history saturates its bays, banks and depths.
Processed with water from the harbour, the analogue photographs in this exhibition resonate with the memories that exist within. They tell of the dark violence of colonisation, the dendritic pattern of the harbour’s sunken river valley, the fig trees that line its shores and the icy comets & grains of solar dust that formed the Earth’s oceans.
The works in this exhibition were created during a 3- month artist residency at Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf. The artist would like to acknowledge the Gadigal, Birrabirragal & Cammeraygal people - the Traditional Custodians of the lands & waters that the works in this series were created.
PROJECT ALCHEMY
group show from residency
The Queanbeyan Hive
opening 6pm Fri 26 Feb - 17 March
Sammy Hawker, Project Alchemy: 64 Trees, 2024
Over the past few years I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of Project Alchemy - a residency bringing together 15 artists from South-East Australia to make projects in response to the Black Summer Fires.
For this artwork I invited 64 people from communities of Canberra, Braidwood and the South Coast to deliver me a few leaves and a story of a tree that was special of them. The variety & vibrancy of these tree chromatograms has been extraordinary. The stories that have been shared have been so moving and it makes me reflect on how meaningful trees are in our lives - quiet witnesses to our experiences of birth, death, relationship breakdowns, spiritual breakthroughs and the general passing of life.
Helen Musa recently wrote an article about the residency & my (*anti)-photography practice in this article for Canberra City News - https://citynews.com.au/2024/art-from-emotional-ashes-of-black-summer-fires/
Visual artist Sammy Hawker uses analogue cameras and inventive photography techniques.(ABC Arts: Eloise Fuss)
ABC ARTS [Febuary, 2024]
profile by Eloise Fuss
[HOLDING] SPACE WORKSHOP
Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf
24 February, 2024
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/holding-space-a-deep-listening-workshop-tickets-801931287067
WITH NATURE
group show curated by Alexander Boynes
Canberra Contemporary Art Space
Opening 5.30pm Friday 9 Feb - 6 April 2024
ART COLLECTOR #107 [January, 2024]
profile by Jo Higgins
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