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The Desires of Mute Things
composition
posted on 2023-05-25, 08:23 authored by Newitt, JResearch Background The ‘Colonial Afterlives’ exhibition consisted of contemporary responses from sixteen artists living in Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, Canada and Britain to the complex legacies of British occupation. The exhibition raised questions around the nature of post-colonial identity in an increasingly globalised world. The work Desires of Mute Things was included in the exhibition as a new commission and sought to question the ethics and legacy of presenting objects and images related to Tasmania’s colonial past, specifically in relationship to the colonial collection of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Research Contribution The Desires of Mute Things responded to the colonial collection of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. It draws a broad outline around a network of contentious and problematic representations of people and place, specifically representations of early colonial history. The video in the installation shows objects, images and spaces within the museum while an anonymous voice follows a train of thought and speculates on the history and desires of the things that it encounters along the way. Research Significance The Desires of Mute Things was commissioned as part of a Salamanca Art Centre’s major international exhibition ‘Colonial Afterlives’ and was presented as part of the 2015 Ten Days festival program. The exhibition was curated by London-based curated Dr Sarah Thomas and will tour to several Australia galleries and regional museums over 2016-18.
History
Medium
installation, video projection, soundDepartment/School
School of Creative Arts and MediaPublisher
‘Colonial Afterlives’ Salamanca Art CentreExtent
14:10 minsEvent Venue
Salamanca Arts Centre, HobartDate of Event (Start Date)
2015-03-19Date of Event (End Date)
2015-04-27Rights statement
Copyright unknownRepository Status
- Restricted