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WYD: Your top gallery picks for the week, March 1

Artistic juice for the right side of your brain

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Weekly updates


The rich artistic network in Melbourne is no doubt a blessing. Whilst the local talent around is pretty awe-inspiring, some of our events this week hold an international flare. Ian Strange is returning home from the Big Apple for his show Shadow, six artists have come back to Australia from Thailand for the group show Let’s Cross The Sea, and the lineup for It’s Pronounced “GIF,” Not “GIF” come from far and wide.

Travelling does allow us to see our own soundings in a new light, and can often spark inspiration in places we would otherwise ignore in our everyday routine. But for those of us who aren’t quite ready to get jet-setting, my best friend’s mum gave me some advice I pretty much live by – “Change is better than a holiday”. If a plane ticket isn’t really on the books, simply spicing up your weekly routine can do wonders to shift your perspective on the everyday. Yep, it’s always a good idea to suss the local galleries and get some fresh inspo, so without further ado, queue our WYD roll call below.

As always, make sure to let us know WYD by sending your art events to [email protected].

01. Keezus: The Second Coming

Award winning stencil artist Keezus is back at it again for her third solo show Keezus: The Second Coming. If we cast our minds back to the start of 2016, we can recall how ol’ Kanye continued to work and remaster songs from The Life Of Pablo, long after its initial release. In a similar fashion, this exhibition is a continuation of Keezus’s last show, but we’re pretty sure this one will hit a whole new level.

We’re set for an exploration of her stencil game, from her studio to the finished product, being her well-known murals. The show will explore the ego of the artist and open up that inner battle between who we really are, versus the way we are perceived. Hosted at The Stockroom, be sure to suss the Facebook event full the full details on this one.

02. Shadow - Sydney

It can be hard to keep up with Ian Strange. From leaving his mark on suburban America to burning houses in their entirety, the New York-based artist has had plenty to keep him busy over recent months. Yet for fans new and old, Strange’s most recent body of work still surpasses all expectations. Featuring five large-scale pieces and a film documenting the work done on the Australian homes, Shadow stands as an exciting chapter in his career.

Strange sparks an exploration into the perceived role of home, our feelings towards this ideal and the challenges transforming it into something else presents. No stranger to bold statements, the focus of this show is pointed back on home turf, challenging the Australian Suburban dream.

Hosted by our friends at the Chippendale, the show’s full details can be found here, and be sure to suss some of Stange’s previous pieces here.

03. March at KINGS - Melbourne

There’s a lot going on this month for Melbourne’s KINGS Artist-Run. Opening this Friday, Georgia Banks, Alexandra Gomez and the team behind Massage Therapy are bringing in autumn with absolute pizzazz.

As Massage Therapy channel the unique space created in massage parlours, the relations between giving and receiving is opened up for exploration. Georgia Banks’s expo, ‘On Parr,’ is set to incorporate a video and performance, surrounding female subjectivity and it’s effect on the audience when live performances are central. And finally, Alexandra Gomez’s ‘The Vessel’ taps into way identity, gender, sexuality, and size are contextualised.

As you can see, there really is a lot going on, so make sure you give the Facebook event a good read and prep yourself for what is set to be a really exciting show.

04. It’s Pronounced “GIF,” Not “GIF” - Sydney

It’s Pronounced “GIF,” Not “GIF”. Ah, yes, the millennial version of “tomatoes vs tomatoes”. Our friends over at Goodspace are bringing a spicy line-up of eight artists under one roof for a show that is set to challenge the way we participate in our modern world. In their words, “the exhibited artists disrupt traditional production practices resulting in a redefinition of the function of a .gif image, filtered through a lens of perverted capitalism”.

We’re not sure if the show will finally put to rest the debate on how GIF is supposed to be pronounced, but either way, it looks like a pretty exciting time. With artists from the UK, Canada, the US, and a few from down under as well, this one-night-only show is set to be a blockbuster. Be sure to take a look at the Facebook event for the full scoop.

05. Let's Cross the Sea - Collingwood

We’re pretty passionate about supporting local talent, but we’ve got to say, it’s a different kind of magic when artists from all over the world come together.

Our neighbours at Black Cat gallery are set to host the group show Let’s Cross The Sea. Back home from the 12th International Art Workshop in Bangkok, Andrian DoyleAnnette ChangAshley D BirdRushdi AnwarSarah Randall and Pimpisa Tinpalit are bringing all they garnered from their time abroad under the one roof. 

Having met with artists from Korea, Cambodia, Sweden, France and Myanmar (just to name a few), there’s no doubt this show will be rich in diverse talent. Be sure to check out the Facebook event for this one—the pieces have travelled quite some distance to make it home so it’s not one you want to miss.