MEMORY/MYTH is a program of films and video installations borne from distinct yet overlapping experiences of indigeneity, diaspora and the intersecting global legacies of colonialism. Through contemporary and historic works by a group of acclaimed international artists, Ames Yavuz presents a conversation between kindred spirits — authors united by their shared inheritance of landscapes and stories ravaged by the imperial project. The extensive lacunae in such histories are visited by these artists as sites for both mourning and discovery, while also being generative spaces for myth-making, fantasy and the curative contemplation of possible futures.
MEMORY/MYTH includes works by Brook Andrew (Wiradjuri, Ngunnawal/Australia), Richard Bell (Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang, Australia), Joy Gregory (UK), Thania Petersen (South Africa), and Stanislava Pinchuk (Ukraine). Exploring experiences of indigeneity, diaspora and the intersecting global legacies of colonialism, and emphasises the gallery’s commitment to showcasing international artists in Australia.
Highlight works in the program include Blinded by the very force it imagined it could handle, by celebrated photographer-filmmakers Donovan Wylie and Peter Mann, marking the first time the video installation will be shown outside of Ireland. Monica de Miranda, a prominent Portuguese artist currently representing her nation at the Venice Biennale, will showcase The Island (A Ilha), commissioned by Autograph, London. Indonesian collective Tromarama will present their major work Growing Pillars, which was produced for the 2023 Facade Commission at M+, Hong Kong. Turkish artist Fikret Atay will present Tinica, a video work that has garnered international acclaim in prestigious exhibitions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Istanbul Modern, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Hammer Museum.
The participating artists include Ibrahim Ahmed (Kuwait), Mónica Alcázar-Duarte (Mexico), Brook Andrew (Wiradjuri, Ngunnawal/Australia), Fikret Atay (Turkey), Martha Atienza (Philippines), Richard Bell (Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang/Australia), Soumya Sankar Bose (India), Isaac Chong Wai (Hong Kong), Club Ate (Australia), Joy Gregory (UK), Amrita Hepi (Bundjulung/Ngapuhi Territories), Choy Ka Fai (Singapore), Mehdi Georges Lahlou (Morocco/France), Mónica de Miranda (Portugal), Jacob Nash and Stephen Page (Daly River people/Australia), Tuan Andrew Nguyen (Vietnam/USA), Khandakar Ohida (India), Thania Petersen (South Africa), Stanislava Pinchuk (Ukraine), Lindokuhle Sobekwa (South Africa), Valentina Soto (Chile), Mikhael Subotzky (South Africa), Eve Tagny (Canada), Tromarama (Indonesia), Bindi Vora (UK), Jayda Wilson (Gugada, Wirangu/Australia), and Donovan Wylie and Peter Mann (Ireland).