Melbourne Now 2023
Arts Project Australia partner with the National Gallery of Victoria
Studio artists Mark Smith and Lisa Reid were invited to present work in the Melbourne Now 2023 exhibition.
Melbourne Now celebrates the latest art, architecture, design, performance and cultural practice to reflect the complex creative landscape of Melbourne. The exhibition ran across The Ian Potter Centre: National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Australia and NGV International from the 24 March to 20 August.
This exhibition showcased Smith, Reid and other Arts Project artists through displayed work, public programs, artist video profiles, and features in publications.
Commissions
The NGV commissioned both Smith and Reid to create new works, with the pieces being acquired for the permanent collection.
Smith created two large-scale soft sculptures ‘Control’ (2023), and ‘Happenstance’ (2023), turning the titled words in to vibrant, three dimensional declarations.
Smith was also commissioned to design large interactive soft sculpture seats that visitors were invited to sit on. ‘Look’ (2023) turned each letter of the word into an individual seat. The interactive and playful nature of the seats made them a hit with visitors.
Inspired by her childhood memories, Reid recreated a ceramic replica of her mother’s Sunbeam hair dryer. Taking over six months to make, the work is true to size and scale of the original object. As a set it consists of the hairdryer in the case, shower cap, manual, and hair rollers – all made of ceramics.
- Lisa Reid“My mum used to have a hairdryer like the one in the show in the 1970s and 80s. It was from the 50s. I remember the blue cap, I wore it sometimes sitting on the chair in the lounge room, moving the switch, feeling the heat coming through.”
This bold new work of Reid’s was exhibited along with three other ceramic works of hers, ‘The Old Fashioned Cash Register with the Old Paper Dollar Notes and Coins’ (2018), ‘Panasonic Tape Recorder from the 1980s’ (2018), and ‘Jade Hurleys 20 Golden Oldies’ (2022).
Public Programs
Artist Talk: Lisa Reid x Marcel Cooper floor talk
Reid was joined by Arts Projects staff artist and ceramics specialist Marcel Cooper for a public artist talk and Q and A session to discuss her incredible ceramic practice. This was a unique opportunity for audiences to hear about Reid’s creative process and the inspiration behind her works.
NGV x APA takeover day
Arts Project Australia presented a day of artist talks, live demonstrations and screenings in the NGV Ian Potter Community Hall. The event showcased the artwork and creative ideas of Melbourne Now artists Mark Smith and Lisa Reid along with fellow Arts Project artists Bronwyn Hack, Alan Constable and Christian Hansen. Visitors were invited to drop by and be part of this day of joyful creative expression, exploration and discussion.
Artist profile videos and publications
To compliment the programming and exhibition Smith and Reid featured in the accompanying Melbourne Now publication. An interview with Reid discussing her journey to ceramics was also featured in the NGV Magazine, and Smith was featured in an NGV artist profile video shared on their socials and YouTube channel.