Carriageworks

Ecdysis is a scientific term describing the process by which reptiles shed their skin to allow for new growth. Taking inspiration from this otherworldly natural process, Cherine Fahd’s video installation brings together forty-four large-scale video portraits of women of different ages and walks of life. Each subject is engaged in an act of struggle and surrender with the artist, inviting us to consider what we are willing to let go of, and what we might become. Luminously projected in a cavernous, darkened space at Carriageworks – Eveleigh’s railway workshop turned arts institution – the shedding of skin suggested by these portraits raises tensions between control and release, bringing us to the precipice of transformation. Each subject’s performance tells a different story spanning resistance and acceptance, tenderness and strength, authority and vulnerability.  Ecdysis is co-commissioned by resident company Performance Space and Carriageworks and is free to visit until January 30. Want more? Check out the best exhibitions in Sydney this month.

Centred around a pool of sparkling gold, Icarus, my Son features new video, sculptural and installation works by First Nations artist Dean Cross (who also currently features in Primavera at the MCA) and investigates ideas of home, ambition, cataclysm and loss. This multi-faceted, semi-autobiographical exhibition takes inspiration from the ancient Greek tragedy of Icarus and Daedalus and examines themes universal to the experience of those in rural and remote communities who seek to expand their horizons. Ever heard the old adage "don't fly too close to the sun"? That comes from the myth of son and father Icarus and Daedalus, who attempted to escape from Crete by means of wings constructed from feathers and wax. Spoiler: it doesn't end well for poor Icarus. Presented by Carriageworks in partnership with Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, Icarus, my Son was first staged at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery in August 2021 and was commissioned as part of their new biennial award the Good Initiative, of which Cross is the inaugural recipient. The exhibition is curated by Gina Mobayed and Daniel Mudie Cunningham, and is free to visit until January 30, 2022 at Carriageworks, Eveleigh's former railway workshop turned multi-arts and events precinct.  Want more? Check out the best exhibitions in Sydney this month.

Return to Sender is a powerful new large-scale wall assemblage by Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens. In a show of pride and defiance, the installation presents reworked postcards depicting racist imagery from the turn of last century overlaid with contemporary representations of First Nations people.  You might have spotted Dickens’ work at the Art Gallery of NSW for Nirin: 22nd Biennale of Sydney. The Lismore based, Sydney born, mixed-media artist has made waves in the art world for her large-scale works that repurpose found items and expose the tribulations of colonisation.  In Dickens’ typical style the work incorporates domestic detritus from rusted corrugated iron to unhoused front fences and decapitated letter boxes. Acknowledging the persistence of racial and sexual violence in contemporary life, Return to Sender is a call for resistance. Return to Sender is showing for free from January 6-30, 2022, at Carriageworks, Eveleigh’s former railway workshop turned multi-arts and events precinct. Want more? Check out the best exhibitions in Sydney this month.