It’s fair to say that HOTA Gallery’s latest exhibition is immersive. Kathy Mackey’s work Artefacts of Leisure certainly is. Walk into the room where this video work is showing and it’s like being underwater in an Esther Williams movie or during an aqua aerobics class.
That’s the point. Mackey’s work is one of six major commissions for Here and Now: Gold Coast Triennial. The exhibition features 42 Gold Coast artists and is the second edition of the landmark contemporary art exhibition celebrating the creative talent of artists living and working on the Gold Coast, with the works inspired by their personal histories, career experiences and spanning generations in a thought-provoking atmosphere.
This Triennial made its debut in 2021 with Solid Gold: Artists From Paradise marking the first major exhibition at the newly opened HOTA Gallery at Surfers Paradise.
The 2024 exhibition, which is free and continues until February 16, unveils the depth and dynamism of the Gold Coast creative community by offering a vibrant and diverse showcase of works that reflect the unique energy and stories of this evolving city.
“Since its establishment, the Gold Coast Triennial has offered a platform for local artists to express their connection to the city while engaging audiences in new and unexpected ways,” Yarmila Alfonzetti says. She is head of arts and culture for Experience Gold Coast, the newish tourism body that oversees the Gold Coast’s major arts precinct.
“We are proud to continue this tradition and invite the community to experience the extraordinary creativity emerging from our region,” Alfonzetti says.
The hero works of the exhibition are the six commissioned pieces by Mackey and Jay Jermyn, Larissa Warren, Lyle Duncan, Norton Fredericks and Rebecca Ross, all using different mediums in exciting ways. Their works are displayed in rooms off a central circular gallery where the rest of the art is presented in a compelling salon hang. (My favourite is the stunning expressionist floral painting Poetic Irregularity by Llewellyn Skye.)
Mackey’s piece is probably the most accessible of the commissions. The Brisbane-born, Gold Coast-based artist points out that “the Gold Coast is renowned for its love affair with water and outdoor activities”. In Artefacts of Leisure she responds to assumptions about “organised leisure”, particularly water-based exercises in swimming pools.
Her research explores how ageing bodies and artificial accessories, in this case the humble pool noodle, move through these spaces as a form of mark-making. She takes us beneath the surface to view these behaviours and to gently play with the irony of how leisure seemingly has become institutionalised.
Gallery goers can explore and wander through the seven interconnected spaces within Gallery 1 and there’s an exciting line up of events in association with the exhibition including cocktails with curators, panel discussions, bespoke artist in conversation dinners and ArtLab workshops designed to engage visitors of all ages.
“Here and Now represents a vibrant fusion of artistic innovation and cultural reflection,” according to HOTA’s director gallery and visual arts, Susi Muddiman. She says the exhibition is “a testament to the incredible talent within our region, pushing the boundaries of contemporary art while inviting audiences to engage with dynamic, thought-provoking works”.
“It was a delight to get more than 200 responses to a call out for work,” Muddiman says. “These works take the cultural temperature of the Gold Coast.”
Exhibition curator Sam Creyton has been with HOTA Gallery for three years and has worked on putting together this Triennial.
“This type of show is the reason this building is here,” Creyton says. “But we don’t want to be too parochial because I think our artists stand up against everyone else.”
Creyton says the Gold Coast has now outgrown dated conceptions of the place as a cultural desert: “We don’t have to talk about it in those terms anymore.”
HOTA Gallery is a stunning asset and well worth a visit and right now the gallery is full of engaging shows from the ground up. As well as the Triennial there’s a show curated by Muddiman digging into the gallery’s rich collection. That exhibition is called HOTA Collects: Direction and features a wide variety of work, everything from John Brack to Michael Zavros.
Muddiman says the collection is “a source of pride for the community, and a significant asset of the city”.
“The development of the collection speaks to the care, attention and discerning eyes of previous directors and I admire them for their foresight in acquiring key works in many artists’ oeuvres,” Muddiman says. “It was challenging to contain my selections to just a few when the collection is truly a treasure trove.
“The artists represented in this exhibition are among those whose practice I admire. I consider artists as integral to chronicling social history, presenting different perspectives on the world around us, so there’s certainly elements of poignant story-telling in this selection, along with historical viewpoints, senses of humour and moments of self-reflection. I was keen for my selection to encompass a variety of genres across all media, so there’s figurative works, landscapes and quiet still life works depicted in painting, printmaking, sculpture and ceramics.”
There are other compelling reasons to visit including A Bigger View, which features works lent by the National Gallery of Australia, most notably the David Hockney masterpiece, A Bigger Grand Canyon, a 7.4m-long landscape painting consisting of 60 canvases capturing this natural wonder from different viewpoints and times of day.
There’s also Energies 24, a collaborative effort between Gold Coast visual arts educators, students and HOTA Gallery, which gives us an idea of what the next generation of artists is like.
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For visitors looking to linger a little longer at HOTA Gallery – I would encourage that Palette restaurant will add a unique flavour to the main exhibition, unveiling its 10th exhibition tasting menu curated by executive chef Dayan Hartill-Law, with dishes that echo the themes, colours, and emotions captured by the artists.
Each of the five courses in the innovative menu offers an unforgettable gastronomical journey with inspiration taken from the artists’ shared tales of food. This is a celebration of art and taste on a plate that allows guests to journey through some of the featured artists’ childhoods spent on the beach eating seafood, to overgrown mint gardens and comfort food when in their creative zones.
Here and Now: Gold Coast Triennial, presented by Experience Gold Coast, continues at HOTA Gallery, Surfers Paradise, until February 16.
hota.com.au/whats-on/live/exhibitions/here-and-now-gold-coast-triennial
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