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Hard
Sleeper, 7+/-1 Australian Artists
in China a wonderfully eclectic exhibition is the culmination of a two-month
immersion into Chinese art and culture undertaken by 7 Australian Indigenous and
Emerging artists as apart of Imagine Australia – the Year of
Australian Culture in China.
Led by "China Facilitator" Catherine
Croll, the group including: Fiona Foley, Guy Maestri, Frances Belle Parker,
Peter Gardiner, Philjames, China De la Vega and Zhou Xiaoping began their
adventure by travelling via local transport (hard sleeper) to some of
China’s most interesting provincial cities and historic sites including:
Pingyao, Xian, Hua Shan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dazu
G
rottoes, the Yangtze River, Wuhan and Shanghai (read more at
www.CatherineCroll.com)
During their tour they met with local contemporary
artists, participated in forums, engaged in public and private debates, toured
artist’s studios and arts districts, conducted classes for hundreds of
primary school children in earthquake ravaged Sichuan and served as VIP guests
at the Australian Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo.
This was followed by a
month of frenzied activity during their Red Gate Gallery studio residency where
the artists produced an extraordinary range of artwork including two large works
on steel panels from the recently ‘decommissioned’ Australian
Pavilion which were auctioned to raise funds for the Xingren Primary School in
Sichuan and the Epenarra School in the Northern Territory.
This project was funded
by the Department of Foreign Affairs through the Australian International
Cultural Council (AICC) and supported by Australian Embassy Beijing, Bluescope
Butler (China) and the Australian Pavilion Shanghai Expo.
Hard Sleeper, 7+/-1
Australian Artists in China will open at the Watchtower on October 30 and run
until November 14.
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