When we inhale and exhale, our bodies transform through the process of inflation and deflation. Drawing on the inflatable form as both material and metaphor, Conflated brings disparate artists together to explore bodies, environments and cultures through contemporary art. Here, the cycle of breathing serves as a framework through which a wide array of experiences, behaviours and expressions are examined.
The artists featured in Conflated investigate the possibilities of the inflatable through participatory works that entice audiences into finding new forms of Covid-safe intimacy, audio that draws parallels between ASMR breath and the ecological destruction of glaciers melting, and video of convulsing bodies that morph with inflatable objects. Across all works, the idea of inflation and deflation is a provocation, offering new possibilities in and for our world.
“Conflated presents a range of inflatable materials, from balloons to digital audio and video informed by inflatable processes. Positioning the inflatable as the medium of our times, the exhibition prompts us to explore the inherent plasticity and transformative potential of that which can be blown up. The works conflate synthetic forms with human vulnerabilities, the abject, uncanny, eco-anxiety, colonised land and breath.”
Curators Zoë Bastin and Claire Watson.
Featured artists include: Zoë Bastin, Andy Butler, David Cross, Bronwyn Hack, Amrita Hepi with Honey Long and Prue Stent, Christopher Langton, Eugenia Lim, James Nguyen and Steven Rhall.
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) Acting Director Alex Pedley says: “We’re delighted to present Conflated at BRAG. This remarkable exhibition brings a unique perspective to the NSW Central West community. We’re looking forward to these exciting works challenging and inspiring our audience.”
Conflated is a NETS Victoria touring exhibition, co-curated by Zoë Bastin and Claire Watson.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
IMAGE: Amrita Hepi with Honey Long and Prue Stent, Omphalus (still), 2021, video: 3 minutes 30 seconds. Courtesy the artists,
Anna Schwartz Gallery and ARC ONE Gallery. © the artists.