Bated Breath

Megan Cope presents Bated breath, 2021 as a portrait of the present-day internet. The title is a play-on-words, a homonym of ‘bated’ breath, a phrase first mentioned in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which infers to holding one's breath in suspense, anxiety or fear. With bait fish used as a metaphor, Cope also integrates her connection to Quandamooka waters and recurring themes involving sea management.

An impressive installation of 1,300 shiny ceramic fish spiralling downward towards a mirrored reflection. The grand spectacle draws parallels to the gleaming allure of mass participation of social media streams, but, in reality, the internet can be as harmful as it is helpful. Often baited with racism, social media spaces have become a trap and a divisive tool which sanctions a common form of lateral violence particularly within Aboriginal communities. The mirror symbolically refers to narcissism involving self-centered, arrogant thinking and behaviour, and a lack of empathy. Caught in such a vortex encourages mob mentality and prohibits autonomy.  Baited breath largely comments on the psychology of the internet, including social media, racist online journalism, fake news and clickbait.

EXHIBITION HISTORY:
- OCCURRENT AFFAIR curated by proppaNOW and UQAM,  presented by Museums & Galleries of NSW, 2023 (touring)

-proppaNow OCCURRENT AFFAIR, John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Curated by Amanda Hayman and Troy Casey (BlakLash Collective); 9 February - 16 April, 2023   
- ​​proppaNow OCCURRENT AFFAIR, University of Queensland Art Museum (UQAM)
Curated by Amanda Hayman and Tory Casey; 13 February - 19 June, 2021