The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s annual Primavera: Young Australian Artists exhibition showcases the work of Australian artists aged 35 years and under. In its 32nd year, Primavera has been guest curated by Talia Smith, who considers what artists are creating to challenge society’s prescribed structures.
Through works of various media, including installation, video, painting, sculpture, mark-making and text, the six artists – Tiyan Baker (b. 1989, Garramilla/Darwin), Christopher Bassi (b. 1990, Meanjin/Brisbane), Moorina Bonini (b. 1996, Naarm/Melbourne), Nikki Lam (b. 1988, Hong Kong), Sarah Poulgrain (b. 1992, Thul Garrie Waja/Townsville) and Truc Truong (b. 1987, Tarndanya/Adelaide) – draw on their lived experience to disrupt the dynamics of power and deliver compelling alternatives to the status quo.
Primavera was initiated in 1992 by MCA Australia in collaboration with Dr Edward Jackson AM and Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM, in memory of their daughter Belinda. Since its inception, Primavera has played an influential role in the development of contemporary art in Australia, introducing a generation of artists at an early stage of their careers to a broader public. Each year the curator of Primavera undertakes extensive research, travelling across the country to meet young artists.
“What brings these artists together is the way they reckon with the perils of history, education, culture, and language to question authoritative structures and systems. They assert that there is more than one way of living and offer impressions of how it might look.” – Talia Smith
Artists: TIYAN BAKER | CHRISTOPHER BASSI | MOORINA BONINI | NIKKI LAM | SARAH POULGRAIN | TRUC TRUONG
CURATED BY TALIA SMITH.
