Skip to main content

Incommensurable – photomedia in the era of globalisation – exhibition, Canberra





Incommensurable – photomedia in the era of globalisation – is an exhibition at the Australian National University’s Drill Hall Gallery in Canberra. The exhibition started today, 23 February 2018, and will continue until 8 April.

Six artists are contributing to the exhibition, curated by Terence Maloon: Nick Danziger, Merilyn Fairskye, Ciara O’Brien, David Stephenson, Martin Walch, and Anne Zahalka.

The exhibition provides ‘conflicting perspectives that highlight some of the more troubling aspects of our globalised age.’

by Ciara O’Brien


During the Artists in Conversation, on 23 February, convened by Terence Maloon, the artists Merilyn Fairskye, David Stephenson and Anne Zahalka discussed their works.

Maloon described the evolution of globalisation since the 1980s depicted in the artists’ works as ‘arresting visions and perspectives’ showing a ‘staggering way of raising questions about land, the caring for land …’

Merilyn Fairskye’s Ground Zero (first Soviet atomic bomb test, 7.00am, 29 August 1949, The Polygon, Kazakhstan), a 2015 archival ink pigment print, and Radiant 2015-2017, a single-channel vertical HD video installation (duration 11:40 minute loop) both show the ‘terminal landscape’ and ‘nuclear cycle.’

by Merilyn Fairskye

by Merilyn Fairskye

by Merilyn Fairskye

Anne Zahalka's 2004 series of ink pigment prints (lightjet prints) reference popular culture, ‘re-imagining nature’ showing ‘stereotypes of iconic Australian folklore’ through digitized images.

by Anne Zahalka

by Anne Zahalka

by Anne Zahalka

David Stephenson’s photographic images show globalisation through images of major cities, such as Sydney from Cremorne Point (2010).

by David Stephenson 

by David Stephenson 


The over-arching theme of Documentary Photography – or photojournalism – was also discussed. This included the stylistic position that was ‘not particularly truthful’ through black and white images, framed and window-mounted photographs, and taking liberties with the ‘frequent use of disjointed’ and ‘digified’ images in an attempt to ‘disrupt the documentary.’







MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh  (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. That
1 comment
Read more

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass
Post a Comment
Read more

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing
1 comment
Read more