Entities: A Tale of Two Exhibitions Special Event
Join us for our special event Entities: A Tale of Two Exhibitions. We invite you to explore the exhibition, learn about our history and hear from curator Alexandra Nitschke, in conversation with ACE Artistic Director Danni Zuvela.
Adelaide Contemporary Experimental
8 June 2024
12:00pm to 4:00pm
Two very important art historical events took place in Adelaide in 1974 and 1976 - the Concepts and Post-Object Art Exhibitions. In this public program, curator Alexandra Nitschke, in conversation with ACE Artistic Director Danni Zuvela, will unpack and explore the events, the cultural and artistic context, as well as some of the key historical figures - both those we were highly visible, and those somewhat unseen - driving this remarkable, vibrant period of South Australian art. Those with personal connections to the period are particularly encouraged to attend. Feel free to bring any photos, posters or catalogues to digitise as we will have a scanner on the day. Historical item donation welcome.
Curator
Archivist in Residence
About the exhibition
Something incredible was happening in contemporary art in Adelaide in the 1970s and early 1980s. Local, national and international currents surged together in a heady mix of radicalism, idealism, and a desire to “edit” the institution of art. All around the world, artists were challenging established structures, and building their own. Alternative art spaces were formed by artists and art theorists, creating new spaces for artists to make, share and discuss work outside the stranglehold of conservative institutions and markets. Conceptualism - the belief that the most important part of an artwork was its idea, and the idea itself was sufficient to be an artwork; and the post-object movement, which foregrounded performance, film, installation, happenings, and video - were twin currents animating the period. And Adelaide - despite, or possibly even because of its peripherality - was the heartbeat of this movement.
Entities: The Concepts and Post Object Exhibitions highlights the work of two, related Adelaide art spaces: the Contemporary Art Society of South Australia (CAS (SA)) and the Experimental Art Foundation (EAF). The exhibitions signal key moments in the histories of the two art spaces and explore a pivotal juncture in the development of contemporary art locally and nationally.
Alexandra Nitschke is an independent curator and researcher based on the unceded Country of the Peramangk people in the Adelaide Hills. She has a particular interest in the convergence of contemporary exhibition practices and the archive. Alexandra has cultivated a deep working knowledge of regional contexts as Curator at the Rockhampton Museum of Art (2017-2018) and as Curatorial Assistant at the Ipswich Art Gallery (2011-2015). Most recently Alexandra was a research candidate at the University of Adelaide, supported by an Australian Government Research Training Scholarship. She has written for the Australasian Registrars Committee Journal and fine print magazine, amongst others.
This project is supported by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body, and the South Australian Government through Arts South Australia.
The exhibition is supported by the City of Adelaide.
