Island Welcome
11 April - 5 June 2019
Modern Western culture is in large part the work of exiles, émigrés, refugees.
Edward Said, Reflections on Exile (1984)
How do we welcome people seeking a new life in Australia?
What do we value as Australians?
How can we share what we value with others?
Island Welcome is a group exhibition exploring contemporary jewellery as a gesture of welcome. Inspired by the welcome garlands of many traditional island cultures, a group of contemporary jewellers have made a neckpiece, lei or garland interpreting the theme of welcome and considering current Australian immigration and refugee policy.
Curator Belinda Newick explains the idea arose from a family holiday in Fiji, “I was struck by the open-heartedness, the sense of acknowledgement and ceremony to the moment of arrival”.
Island Welcome presents the work of Jane Bowden, Liv Boyle, Michelle Cangiano, Jess Dare, Anna Davern, Nicky Hepburn, Kath Inglis, Pennie Jagiello, Manon van Kouswijk, Sim Luttin, Vicki Mason, Belinda Newick, Lauren Simeoni, Lucy Simpson, Alice Whish and Melinda Young.
Meet the artists here
Explore the Island Welcome room sheet here
Read more about the inspiration behind Island Welcome. In conversation with Belinda Newick here
Island Welcome aims to facilitate a quiet contemplative experience of adornment as a vehicle for political discourse, empathy and shared humanity.
The exhibition was first shown at Radiant Pavilion Melbourne Contemporary Jewellery and Object Biennial in 2017 and then Craft Victoria in 2018. In Sydney, Newick welcomes Lucy Simpson and Pennie Jagiello to add their voices to the conversation.
EVENTS
Exhibition Opening Night
Join us for the opening of Island Welcome, The Teapot Project and Hip Hip Decay. The exhibitions will be opened by Garland Magazine's Kevin Murray, College of the Arts Head of Contemporary Art, Oliver Smith, Belinda Newick, curator of Island Welcome.
When: Thursday 11 April 2019
Time: 6-8pm
Where: Australian Design Centre
Free event, bookings required
RSVP here
Floor talk with Island Welcome artist and curator Belinda Newick
Join curator and jeweller Belinda Newick, artists Melinda Young and Alice Whish for an insight into the exhibition Island Welcome.
When: Saturday 13 April 2019
Time: 11.30am -12.30pm
Where: Australian Design Centre
Free event, bookings required
Book here
Garland: Sydney as a crafted city - in three acts
Join the contributors to the Safe Harbour issue to reflect on the nature of Sydney as a crafted city - past, present and future.
Join Kevin Murray, editor of Garland and special guests for an open discussion about how makers and communities find a second chance in a new land. They will explore the story of a crafted city Sydney, from Yirran Miigaydhu Aboriginal Women Weavers to post-capitalist exchange projects.
Many hands make a city a better place to live in.
When: Saturday 13 April 2019
Time: 1.30 - 3.30pm
Where: Australian Design Centre
Free event, bookings required
Book here
Making a Statement: Garland Making Workshop
Join contemporary jeweller Melinda Young and designer Lucy Simpson to design and make your own garland.
Learn to weave your own welcome garland in response to the questions - how do we welcome people seeking a new life in Australia? What do we value as Australians? How can we share what we value with others?
Join the conversation around stories of refuge, displacement and home by making your own statement.
When: Saturday 25 May 2019
Time: 11am-1pm
Where: Australian Design Centre
Cost: $30, all materials provided
Bookings required
Book here
Top image: Kath Inglis, Lei from the welcome mat. Photo: Kath Inglis
Bottom Image: Jess Dare, Untitled (detail). Photo: Grant Hancock
