GOMA Turns 10 - Spectacular Art

GOMA Turns 10 - Spectacular Art

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Posted 2016-12-05 by Marina Marangos follow

Sat 03 Dec 2016 - Mon 17 Apr 2017

This weekend has seen an expansive programme of celebrations to mark GOMA's 10th Birthday and there is so much to celebrate and applaud.

The energy of the staff who put together these truly inspiring exhibitions together with the beauty of the space which the building provides is a winning combination. For the time I have lived in Brisbane I have been awe struck, admiring and reflective of the art I have seen displayed here.

They have excelled again - with an exhibition which celebrates their achievements, their collected art work as they set about to introduce sensational local and international art to the Brisbane art lovers.

Sugar Spin, You, Me, Art and Everything has just opened and will be around until the 17th April 2017 so there is no excuse not to make time to see this wonderful collection of art.

I am going to start with not necessarily the most obvious piece which is Neverscope, but go directly to a big art work which for me was the most complex and the one which I could connect with on so many levels - it is on the upper floor and it is a middle aged woman lying in bed. Easy to understand why I connected on the surface but you need to come in close to this one and look at the intensity of her gaze but also her daydreaming pose, her pensive mood and the slight anxiety revealed in the placing of her hand by her mouth.



Ron Mueck who is responsible for this work is one of the foremost contemporary artists of modern art. He works in what is known as the "Realist Tradition". His Sculptures take a long time to come to life - you might almost think that of them. They start on paper and small scale plaster maquettes. This work involved a metal structure covered in plaster and modelling clay and then a silicon mould designed to give the subject matter the look of real skin with veins and imperfections of the body painted on, while hair was individually inserted on the head. There is something quite surreal about her yet she is no different from you and me, lying in bed with thoughts racing around in our head. He has captured this brilliantly.

The Curator of the Exhibition Geraldine Kirrihi Barlow talked about the considerable technical achievement necessary to bring this exhibition to the public. She admits that even with the exhibition in place she is ready to be surprised by it and is ready to change the language she uses to explain and appreciate it. She also spoke of the way she divided the exhibition into five thematic chapters which can be seen as you go through.

The first is Sweetmelt -
Loving our sweets but also having the sensation that melting means we may not always be able to enjoy them. A relevance here perhaps for the lovely sunshine of Queensland and the laid back comfortable sweet life it offers most of its citizens but which perhaps not everyone shares. The biggest work in this section is Neverscope by Hrafnhildur Arnardottir ( aka the Shoplifter) from Norway who produced a massive art work made of synthetic hair which makes gallery viewers want to touch it, settle in it, lose themselves in it. We do lots of things with our hair and she is setting out in a playful way to do a lot with hers but at the same time there is something a little unnerving about it too.



The second is Blackwater -
Looking at the black water underneath you and thinking what might be lying beneath. Bringing to the fore the vulnerability of your body as you negotiate these black waters. It is in this section that you will find "In Bed".

The third is Soaring
This is a particularly stunning gallery and well worth lingering over, not only for the monumental and striking arch by artist ... but also for the amazing aboriginal art piece of Tobias Putrih's soaring arch made of card board boxes but also the skin outfits made by new Zealand artist. Another stunning work in this section is Doreen Reid Nakamarra, an Untitled Art work which is made by the careful application of dots in zig zag lines. The effect of this as you look at it from a distance is one of depth and shifting sands. It is not easy to capture so this is another one which is worth a visit to Gallery.





The fourth is Treasure.

I loved the little quiet in this gallery
Imagine your hand holding the Treasure, passing it on
Imagine a small happy hand holding the Treasure

Not surprisingly this section is about Treasures and there are some interesting ones to view - Fiona Hall who has reproduced the nests of 86 birds with shredded US dollar notes. She set out to explore our connection to the natural world using our own system of values, which in this case is money. There are some other displays which are also interactive and invite you to contribute your own thoughts and words to the art.



And finally The Cosmos - giving us an infinite sense of space and images.
Look at the sensational Serpent bending and rewriting space and time made by Huang Yong Ping.



There is so much to choose from - I have focused on a few pieces I particularly enjoyed but this is only a fraction on what is on display. There are shows and interactive programmes and a rich summer festival. I loved Nick Cave's Heard - the dancing horses were sensational and fun and the drumming which accompanied them dynamic and up beat.





There are side exhibitions in other galleries like Lucent and this Land is Mine. Give yourself plenty of time - when exhausted head to the Bistro or Cafe for some much needed sustenance.

GOMA 07 3840 7303

Open daily 10 am to 5 pm
Entry is mostly free - there are some ticketed exhibitions.

There is good public transport to GOMA and underground parking nearby. A stroll by the river or a bike ride will also get you there.

GOMA

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!date 03/12/2016 -- 17/04/2017
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150894 - 2023-06-14 04:47:45

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