After the great news that Carriageworks had been saved with the support of a group of donors, the Sydney art institution has officially announced Friday 7th August as a reopening date. And with the space once again being open to the public, comes new commissions that’ll take over the space as part of the ongoing 22nd Biennale of Sydney and an exhibition titled NIRIN.
The centre of these new commissions will be “Cinopticon”, a major installation by Australian artist Giselle Stanborough, employing the use of searchlights, sculptural forms and colossal wall diagrams alongside mirrored surfaces to reflect the performative experience of social media platforms. Stanborough will remain the subject of the exhibition, guiding visitors through while acting as a sort of ghost in her own machine.
Stanborough’s latest work was commissioned by Carriageworks as part of “Suspended Moment: The Katthy Cavaliere Fellowship, which awarded $100,000 to each of the three female artists presenting their work across Carriageworks, Mona and ACCA.
A welcome return to Carriageworks is “REMEMBER ME” by Kamilaroi artist Reko Ronnie, positioned at the entrance to Carriageworks following its installation at the venue earlier this year. It’s a large-scale public artwork spanning some 25m in length and 5m in height, created by Rennie as a present-day memorial in recognition of the frontier wars, the massacres and the survival of the original sovereigns of this country.
In addition to the above, eight other works will be displayed, all of which have been created especially for NIRIN. Curated by Indigenous Australian artist Brook Andrew, the collection will showcase the works of local artists Tony Albert, Andrew Rewald, Iltja Ntjarra, MzRizk, Adrift Lab, Trent Walet, and Stuart Geddes, as well as Canadian artist Randy Lee Cutler, Mexican artist Teresa Margolles, and UK artist Hannah Catherine Jones. These works were initially exhibited at the National Art School for 10 days, prior to the temporary closure of museums and galleries in March due to COVID-19.
The ever-popular Carriageworks Farmers Market will also make a return, resuming its weekly schedule from Saturday 8th August. It’ll look much different to the usual thriving marketplace through, with strict health and safety measures in place, taking the form of a shop-and-go service for the community.
“The future of Carriageworks has been secured thanks to extraordinary support from a group of donors and commitment to providing a long-term precinct lease from the NSW Government,” said Carriageworks CEO Blair French. “The impact of our closure has been felt across a wide range of communities. We are now excited to welcome the public back to Carriageworks to reconnect with and support producers from across the state through the much loved weekly Carriageworks Farmers Market as well as to experience powerful works by Australian and international artists.”
Carriageworks is implementing the physical distancing, capacity limits and increased hygiene measures outlined by the NSW Government.
Image: “Cinopticon” by Giselle Stanborough / shot by Mark Pokorny.
