wunder gym x HOBSONS BAY for CULTURAL DIVERSITY WEEK, project & GROUP EXHIBITION ‘reconstructing fragment’ with mentor Anu patel
WUNDER GYM X hobsons bay PROGRAM
Wood Street Art Space plays host to the Wunder Gym Arts Program as part of Hobsons Bay Creative Exchange Lab programming aiming to support western region artists, sharing ideas and engaging community creatives, producing artistic outcomes. Mentored by Hobsons Bay own established artist Anu Patel, participants were invited to respond to a theme titled Reconstructing Fragments, as part of Cultural Diversity Week (19-27 March 2022).
As Patel prompted the participants, “You may see yourself as the main subject of the work. Explore different aspects of yourself. Think of these as fragments. These may be emotions, interests or concepts. Consider these as individual entities bringing them together to make a whole image. Each fragment may be of equal importance or have different levels of strength or identity. Consider how you can visually explore and represent these differences. Or you may see yourself as part of a landscape, a community, a culture, a member of your family or any other relevant context”.
This exhibition aims to contribute to Cultural Diversity Week theme; ‘Connecting Through Culture’ and the multiculturalism which is a core part of our identity, character and way of life. Reconstructing Fragments invites the community to reconnect, share and express themselves creatively.
Mentor Anuradha Patel, Indian born, is a public artist and a sculptor. She has established her reputation with major projects in the UK, some examples of which include The ‘A13 Artscape a major refurbishment scheme for Charlton Crescent Subway, in London, the Peace Garden in Birmingham and recently The Memorial Trees, a sculpture located at Grand Station Birmingham and commemorating the Irish pub bombing in Birmingham in 1979. Patel practices as a freelance Artist / Designer. In recent years Anuradha has worked on several site specific public art commissions which take the form of sculpture as well as functional design. Anuradha’s work Whirlpool is part of the public art collection in Hobsons Bay, located at The Warmies in Newport. www.anuradhapatel.com. Some other selected commissions include Noble Park underpass refurbishment project, Willamstown Botanic Gardens, Mooroolbark community centre and Textile hanging, Melton Library. Anuradha is represented in various collections and publications including recently published 50 Women Sculptors.
EXHIBITING WUNDER GYM MEMBERS: Catherine Mackay, Simpson Myers, Paul Zahra, Christine Bulandus, Stella Kinsella, Andrew Cullimore, Steven Patridge, Carol Rowlands, Nandita Nadkarni, Carlos Almenar Diaz and Connor Ovenden-Shaw.
Curated by: Annette Wagner.
