Interspecies and Other Others at Abbotsford Convent.
Chynna Santos. Broadsheet, Melbourne, Aug 2022.
https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/event/interspecies-and-other-others-abbotsford-convent
Head to the convent’s gardens after dark for a new free exhibition that transforms the heritage-listed site with outdoor light projections, sculptures, installations, live performances and soundscapes.
You might know Abbotsford Convent as the home of Collingwood Children’s Farm, the Abbotsford Farmers Market, a community centre with art galleries, and Lentil As Anything before it shut down. But you probably haven’t seen it like this before.
The grounds, gardens and historic buildings are being transformed into a sprawling night-time art gallery.
There are site-specific works and newly commissioned pieces from contemporary artists like Abdul Abdullah, Megan Cope, Atlante Eke and Lyndall Jones, standing alongside pieces from Tony Albert, Yeo Siew Hua and Shan Turner-Carroll. Plus, live performances and participatory events across the six-week exhibition.
Edge of the Garden by Turner-Carroll comprises images of his family dressed in wearable sculptures on their regional property in NSW, while Albert’s photo series No Place was shot in the rainforests of Far North Queensland and acts as a reclamation of his Aboriginal ancestors’ stories and representation.
Works by Zanny Begg, Karrabing Film Collective, Almagul Menlibayeva, Marianne Simnett and a new short film series by Sarah-Jane Woulahan are being projected in a dedicated outdoor area.
Curated by Kelli Alred, Interspecies and Other Others is an exploration of the human condition and how it’s interwoven with the rest of nature and its other inhabitants. It’s also an opportunity to explore different spaces of the convent in an unusual way.
Wednesdays to Sundays from sunset to 10pm. Entry is free.