Literally and figuratively.
July 30, 2019
Culture
The best art is underground this SALA
Held in the historic Treasury Tunnels beneath the Adina Apartment Hotel, UNDER GROUND is the rather straight shooting title of the exhibition by the abstract and ever contemporary artists of Floating Goose Studios.
The exhibition is an interesting fusion of history and contemporary art as the tunnels built beneath what was once South Australia’s Treasury Building become part of the art experience.
Sitting down with Melanie Cooper, a visual artist practicing at Floating Goose Studios, one word immediately comes to mind when we asked her to describe the show.
“Massive,” she laughs.
Featuring works by eight Floating Goose Studios artists, UNDER GROUND showcases the work of Patrick Cassar, Melanie Cooper, Annelise Forster, Nicholas Hanisch, Barry Magazinovich, Rosina Possingham, Cassie Thring and Jamie Willis.
Descending the stairs into the historic tunnels, CityMag is enthralled by the scale and execution of the works within.
Mere metres into the space, you’ll go from mistaking for a ’70s disco, thanks to Barry Magazinovic’s brightly-lit installations, to admiring Rosina Possingham’s serene archival pigment prints.
Nicholas Hanisch, She Held Me Beneath the Waves and I Loved Her, 2019, oil on canvas.
Photo by: Melanie Cooper, Nicholas Hanisch and Barry Magazinovic.
Barry Magazinovic, Of Many and One, 2019, folded polymer sheet.
Photo by: Melanie Cooper, Nicholas Hanisch and Barry Magazinovic.
This show marries those two essential yet not always connected elements of art: content and context. The quality and diversity of the displayed works are riveting and engaging when regarded through both a conceptual and purely aesthetic lens. However, the entire show ‘hangs’ in no small part due to the century-old building they’re displayed in.
This truly is a SALA show for everyone regardless of the your artistic acumen. In a very basic sense – each artist in this Floating Goose Studios production has overcome the added challenge of not being allowed to hang anything from the walls or ceilings due to heritage constraints.
This in itself has created an artistic response, says Melanie.
Open every day until Friday 8 August, you have plenty of time to head UNDER GROUND and experience this unique heritage space in Adelaide curated in a way that celebrates history and the freedom inherent in quality, modern art practice.
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