Emerging curators (and former MCA colleagues) Sophia Cai and Kathleen Lin have teamed up for an exhibition that puts the fun and play back in curation, and explores the relationship between humans and dogs.
Every Dog Will Have Its Day brings together the work of ten artists from around Australia who explore dog/human relations in their work, in some cases for many years: Abdul-Rahman Abdullah (WA), Dion Beasley (NT), David Capra (NSW), Anastasia Klose (NSW), Noel McKenna (NSW), Clare Peake (WA), Kenny Pittock (VIC), Danielle Reynolds (VIC), Adrian Stojkovich (VIC) and Natalie Thomas (VIC).
"It's about exploring the range of potential relationships between dogs and humans, and the enduring connection (whether positive or negative) that these animals play in our lives," says Cai, herself a recent dogmother to Rosie, a rescue greyhound.
The resulting exhibition features dog memes, a tap-dancing duet of dog and owner, dog portraits and sculptures. Some works are new – including drawings by David Capra, and paintings by Adrian Stojkovich; others are recent work, and existing work re-formulated.
A dog-friendly opening event will be held on Saturday July 22 from 1pm-4pm – inviting visitors to bring their dogs into the gallery.
At the opening event, Melbourne artist Danielle Reynolds will perform her duration work On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, involving a treadmill and a plush puppy.