Exhibitions Season Four | 24 August – 12 October 2024
Launch Event: Saturday, 24 August 2024 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Venue: NorthSite Contemporary Arts at Bulmba-Ja Art Centre, 96 Abbott Street, Cairns, QLD, Australia
Cairns, Queensland – NorthSite Contemporary Arts is please to announce the launch of its highly anticipated Season Four exhibitions, running from 24 August to 12 October 2024. This season invites audiences to explore innovative and thought-provoking artistic expressions that delve into the environment, the body, and the materials that shape our world. With four distinct exhibitions on display, visitors will be immersed in a vibrant, reflective, and engaging arts scene in Far North Queensland.
The season will launch with a special event on 24 August 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at NorthSite in the Bulmba-Ja Art Centre. This event offers an exclusive opportunity to experience the exhibitions firsthand, engage with the artists, and connect with the broader creative community.
Featured Exhibitions:
Jill Chism | Remnants (Gallery 1 & Void)
Oak Beach artist Jill Chism presents Remnants, an exhibition combining installation, assemblage, and mixed media works. Through a dialogue between selected existing pieces and new works, Chism explores humanity’s complex relationship with the remnants of the natural world. Rather than offering a dystopian perspective, her material investigations suggest a shift towards recognizing our connectedness—to each other and the cosmos. This exhibition reflects on Chism’s extensive career as an artist in Far North Queensland, spanning over three decades.
Chism’s practice is deeply rooted in her engagement with organic materials, particularly wood.
“My work exults wood in particular as a primal, alive material. There is something fundamental and profound about our engagement with this organic material: a resonance that we mostly don’t have with the technological or man-made,’ says Chism. ‘Wood exudes life, even after it is bleached, burnt, exposed to the elements, and discarded. This aliveness enters into the creative process and, in turn, the exchange between work and viewer.”
Reflecting on the environmental impact of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, Chism stated:
“The unprecedented flooding and devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper had a catastrophic impact on communities and natural environments across Far North Queensland. An unprecedented amount of debris was cast ashore on my local beach, and some of these branches and sticks are part of the exhibition.”
Remnants is made possible through the support of the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, provided through Regional Arts Australia and administered in Queensland by Flying Arts Alliance. Additionally, the project received support from the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) with Douglas Shire Council.
Link to Website Page HERE
Luke Aleksandrow | The Break Collection: Sounds of the Tropics (Gallery 2)
In The Break Collection: Sounds of the Tropics, Topaz-based artist Luke Aleksandrow presents an immersive installation that documents the breakage of ceramics by artists from Far North Queensland within the rainforest soundscape. The installation is accompanied by an ambient track composed by Tom Allum (WA), which responds to the sounds, silences, and breaks captured in Aleksandrow’s recordings, creating a unique auditory experience within the natural environment.
“This iteration of the project breaks from the controlled recording space of the gallery, embedding process and sound within the rainforest. I wanted to embrace my surroundings on Ngadjon-Jii Country in the Atherton Tablelands and let the natural environment shape the soundscape” Aleksandrow explains.
Aleksandrow expresses his gratitude to the contributing artists and collaborators:
“This work of art, including the vinyl record, is possible due to the donations of work by local ceramicists and the sound composition by Tom Allum. Their generosity has been invaluable to this project.”
The Break Collection: Sounds of the Tropics is made possible through the support of the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, provided through Regional Arts Australia and administered in Queensland by Flying Arts Alliance.
Link to Website Page HERE
Cristina Bevilacqua | SKIN (Long Wall)
SKIN is a powerful photographic project by artist Cristina Bevilacqua that celebrates bodily imperfections and champions self-acceptance in an era dominated by unrealistic beauty standards and the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Featuring residents of Cairns as subjects, SKIN reflects Bevilacqua’s commitment to using art as a vehicle for meaningful societal dialogue and transformation, encouraging viewers to embrace their authentic selves.
“The SKIN project is a photographic exploration of the human body, focusing on physical imperfections that are often hidden or stigmatized,’ Bevilacqua explains. ‘My aim is to foster community resilience and drive social change by highlighting the beauty in what society often deems flawed. It’s about creating a dialogue around vulnerability and acceptance.”
SKIN is supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF), a partnership between the Queensland Government and Cairns Shire Council.
Link to Website Page HERE
Kim Nolan , Danish Quapoor , Lois Hayes , Bunda Art ,Malki Studio, and Anne Jillett | Intimate Worlds (Foyer Wall) – Group Exhibition Curated by Lauren Carter
Intimate Worlds brings together the work of artists Kim Nolan, Danish Quapoor, Lois Hayes, Bunda Art, Malki Studio, and Anne Jillett. The exhibition showcases artists who demonstrate a dedication to process, respect, and a deep curiosity for materials. It highlights the intersection of art and design, providing a platform for artists to present their expanded practices and create deeply personal and reflective works in intimate spaces.
“This exhibition is about celebrating materiality and process,”says Carter. “The artists featured in ‘Intimate Worlds’ have a profound respect for their materials, and their work reflects a deep curiosity and dedication to their craft. These makers re-emerge from their studios with refined collections that offer a glimpse into their personal, intimate creative worlds.”
Link to Website Page HERE
Link to NorthSite Season Four Exhibitions Images : Images
Images Credits:
Jill Chism Displaced 2023, studio view. Courtesy the artist and NorthSite Contemporary Arts.
Jill Chism Studio Portrait by Anna Curtis, Courtesy the artist and NorthSite Contemporary Arts.
Luke Aleksandrow, The Break Collection: Sound of the Tropics 2024, production still. Courtesy the artist and NorthSite Contemporary Arts.
Cristina Bevilacqua SKIN 2024 detail/production still. Courtesy the artist and NorthSite Contemporary Arts.
Danish Quapoor, Maybe iii (Maybe that’s why dad had to get taken out), 2024, Glass with hand-coiled and stitched baling twine and acrylic on Linden wood, 15 x 7.7 x 7.7cm. Photograph: Amanda Galea.
Kim Nolan, Tentacles 2024, production still. Courtesy the artist and NorthSite Contemporary Arts.
About NorthSite Contemporary Arts
NorthSite Contemporary Arts is a leading arts institution in Far North Queensland, dedicated to showcasing experimental and innovative works by both emerging and established artists. Located in the heart of Cairns, within the Bulmba-ja Arts Centre, NorthSite focuses on contemporary practices, providing a platform for artists to engage with the community. Through our exhibitions and events, we foster creativity, dialogue, and cultural exchange, making NorthSite a vibrant hub for the arts in Northern Australia.
NorthSite Contemporary Arts is assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. The organisation is also supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.