The Interior invites audiences into an exaggerated psychoanalytic consultation room, transformed through immersive installation, sculptural furniture, hand-painted murals and richly patterned textiles.
Through a playful yet critical lens, Natalya Hughes examines society’s historical relationship with women, power and psychoanalysis. Combining part-professional and part-domestic environments, the exhibition explores gendered dynamics between public and private space, questioning how women have been represented, analysed and controlled throughout history.
The gallery becomes an immersive environment filled with bespoke couches inspired by the contours of the female body, alongside recurring motifs of eyes, rats and snakes drawn from Sigmund Freud’s patient case studies. Audiences are encouraged to recline, interact and inhabit the work — taking on the shifting roles of analyst and patient.
Balancing humour, discomfort and intimacy, The Interior creates a space to reflect on collective biases and the ongoing reimagining of women’s identities and agency in a post-#MeToo world.
The exhibition is a travelling project organised by the Institute of Modern Art (IMA) and toured by Museums & Galleries Queensland.
Programs and Events
Exhibition Opening — Saturday 2 May, 3pm
Natalya Hughes and Amanda Bennetts in Conversation — Saturday 2 May, 2pm
Tufting Workshop with Natalya Hughes — Saturday 6 June, 10am
