A bold, thought-provoking exhibition has landed at the University of Melbourne, featuring three newly commissioned works by contemporary artists Andy Butler, Lisa Hilli and James Nguyen.
Co-curated by the Ian Potter Museum of Art’s senior curator Samantha Comte and head curator Jacqueline Doughty, Collective Unease signals a tension between contemporary Australian society and the remnants of a colonial vision still embodied within the architecture of the Old Quad building, where the exhibition is being displayed.
These three artists have responded to and reframed objects from the university’s archives and art collections, moving beyond colonial narratives to a complex, multi-voiced understanding of Australia inflected by experiences of migration and diaspora. In the face of difficult histories and an uncertain future, these works emphasise themes of self-representation, empowerment and optimism.
Andy Butler’s video ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ juxtaposes landscape paintings and decorative objects with footage of the university's cheerleading club, while Lisa Hilli’s ‘Birds of a Feather’ explores the empowerment of educated Papua Niuginian women through the cultural and symbolic connection of ‘kumul’ (birds of paradise). Hilli’s installation highlights women alumni, in particular Dame Meg Taylor.
Finally, in James Nguyen’s video ‘An Australian National Son’, musicians reinterpret a Federation-era song sheet from the university’s rare books collection, performing the nationalistic tune on violins that have been muffled with foam.
Collective Unease is showing in the Old Quad building until June 2, 2023 (with a break between December 9, 2022, and February 14, 2023). For more information, head to the website.
