Sydney Contemporary 2021: Explore Sydney Contemporary Online

Nanda\Hobbs will be presenting new major works by artists who draw from notions of place and identity as the source of their inspiration.  Through a minimal hang—rotated throughout the event—viewers will be invited to delve deeply into the physical and emotional realms explored by the artists.  For each artist, it is their cultural and personal histories that are inextricably linked to the landscape, with broader ideas of immigration, custodianship, environmental degradation are central to this presentation. Through the selected works, Nanda\Hobbs will spark a dialogue around notions of ecological, cultural identity in both a physical and digital landscape. 

Adam Nudelman uses the landscape as a mechanism to discover his connection to place and explore issues of cultural heritage and identity.  The descendent of Polish immigrants, Nudelman explores themes of displacement and neo-colonisation through his self-composed allegories.

Hubert Pareroultja—a senior Western Arranta-Luritja man and one of the custodians of Albert Namatjira’s vision of the West MacDonnell Ranges—couples western watercolour techniques with the spiritual knowledge of the land.  It is his cross-cultural methodology that positions viewers to understand the ongoing discourse of contemporary Australia.

Nicholas Blowers’ intricate paintings remind us of our responsibility to and impact on, the land.  His paintings become memorials to the places he has experienced—ephemeral sites in a state of vulnerability, collapse or decay.  By memorialising these statuesque structures in the landscape, Blowers pays homage to the natural world.

Mehwish Iqbal’s powerful works explore the geopolitical scenarios evident on this land.  The refugee and migrant diaspora, the commodification of human agency, monopoly of power play, and hybrid identities are all commonplace within her practice.

Loribelle Spirovski’s works have been shaped by humanity’s shared experiences.  Produced during COVID19, Spirovski’s works juxtapose collage and computer-generated images with traditional painting techniques.  Her surreal works occupy the liminal space neither inside nor outside, and her works embody the isolation experienced in this world.