30 July, 2018

SALA comes to the City Library

Established curator and arts writer Adelè Sliuzas will bring the exhibition We did the soft wind to the City Library for the South Australian Living Arts (SALA) festival in August.

Proving that modern libraries are much more than books alone, this exhibition brings together artists whose practices investigate dynamic and shifting notions of self-identity and belonging through the mediums of painting, photography, moving image and installation.

We did the soft wind features recent works by South Australian artists Sundari Carmody, Haneen Mahmood Martin, Riley O’Keeffe and Billie Justice Thomson. Looking at the local within the global, they reflect on contemporary contexts, representing nuanced and diverse explorations of contemporary life.

Anne Rundle, City of Adelaide Manager of Culture and Lifelong Learning, said that the City Library had proven to be a popular SALA venue in previous years.

“The City Library is a place of possibility, representing a remarkable opportunity for contemporary art and unconventional curation to engage with a broad audience.

“We are excited to show new and recent artworks from the four selected artists, who have responded to the library as a local place within the complexities of 21st century life.”

City of Adelaide Councillor Phillip Martin will open the exhibition on Friday 3 August.

“The diverse spaces of the City Library are perfectly designed for artists to exhibit their work and we are eagerly looking forward to it being an exhibition venue once again,” Councillor Martin said.

Curator Adelè Sliuzas said that the themes in the exhibition range from belonging and identity, negotiating uncertainty, relationships between objects and the world, and experiences of life in a global city.

“Artists, as active constituents within the complexities of the city, have the opportunity to respond to and reflect upon the culture and landscape of the city and develop ideas that create a cosmopolitan imaginary,” said Adelè.

“It is through art, music and dance that we create personal space and cultural space. The City Library is a vibrant, public, inner-city hub and acts as an ideal context to explore these ideas.”

The exhibition is multidisciplinary, featuring painting, photography, moving image and installation. A large-scale installation will transform the city library foyer space. Riley O’Keeffe will perform new music at the opening event. New writing from curator Adelè Sliuzas will be featured in the exhibition publication.

The exhibition at the City Library will be officially opened by City of Adelaide Councillor Phillip Martin on August 3rd at 6pm. The exhibition will run during City Library opening hours until September 23rd.

For more information about what’s on during SALA, go to www.salafestival.com.

Image Credit: Sundari Carmody, Longboard Sequence, 2015

Paula Stevens