Honi Soit Review: A Look at Ames Yavuz’s ‘MEMORY/MYTH’

22 Jun 2024

William Winters from Honi Soit reviews Ames Yavuz’s newest second Sydney gallery, with its inaugural exhibition titled MEMORY/MYTH. This multimedia exhibition features international works that are wrapped up in ideas of what it means to archive and dissect intangible, impermanent knowledge passed down through generations. While investigating diverse experiences, these works recognises the shared struggle of rediscovering and reforming cultures in the wake of historical atrocities.

“…It’s thrilling to see such a wide array of cultures and artists being displayed at the gallery,” Winters remarked. Recounting that he was particularly drawn to Jayda Wilson’s audio piece, Blood Reign II, “[Blood Reign II] is a poignant reminder that something as simple as a phone is an incredibly powerful tool in connecting people to rich personal histories,” Winters writes, capturing the essence of the work through “(re)discovery.”

Curated with a focus on “rediscovery” by Ananya Mukhopadhyay, MEMORY/MYTH features a rotating schedule, encouraging visitors to return and delve deeper into the different layers revealed in the exhibition. Winters himself plans to revisit the gallery specifically to experience Valentina Soto’s Squares of Tropic Summer.

The atmosphere at Ames Yavuz is a stark contrast to traditional galleries. Co-founder Glen Ames describes it as a welcoming space, “somewhere to get a coffee and stay for a while.” Unlike static displays of paintings and sculptures, the works here come alive with moving images and sound. “Bound up in the fear of missing a screening, a single clip happening parallel to another projection, or a sound as you take off your headphones”—creating a sense of impermanence that Winters compares to the fleeting nature of online information.

Winters emphasizes the experience offered at Ames Yavuz’s newest gallery: Quoting Winters directly, ‘That,’ he concludes, “is this little gem of truth that for a moment you got to experience the world through someone else’s eyes, and that is all yours. immersive environment.”

Image: Installation view of ‘MEMORY/MYTH’ at Ames Yavuz Sydney, 2024. Photographed by Jessica Maurer.