The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra has commissioned an annual series of intervention art by Australian contemporary artists in partnership with the Balnaves Foundation.
Launching with Maze on 4 May, the series presents large-scale disruptive artworks by Sarah Contos, as well as virtual reality works by Jess Johnson and Simon Ward.
Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at NGA, Jaklyn Babington said that by installing work in unexpected spaces, as Contos did, or reconceiving of space itself as malleable and full of “portals”, as Johnson and Ward did, the artists were creating works that would alter the atmosphere of the NGA.
She said a huge suspension work by Ms Contos will dominate the NGA Foyer from 4 May, with 1980s nostalgic flavour and 1920s flair, while Ms Johnson’s and Mr Ward’s work would be the first virtual reality interactive world for the national collection.
Ms Johnson said it was the most ambitious work the two artists had ever undertaken.
“Never before have we had the space or resources to create this sort of guided, sequential journey with multiple virtual reality experiences,” Ms Johnson said.
General Manager of the Balnaves Foundation, Hamish Balnaves said the Foundation was thrilled to partner with the NGA to capture the commitment to fostering exciting talent and championing the future of the arts in Australia.
The exhibition is to run from 4 May to 26 August.
