Crawl Space
(2022)
ft. Ambiance Collective
🌏 First Site Gallery, Melbourne
Ambiance Collective acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which First Site resides, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. Always was, always will be indigenous land.
Crawl Space showcases the works of eight emerging artists from Ambiance Collective, a group formed through the Forms for Encounter and Exchange studio program led by Dr. Marnie Badham and Dr. Kelly Hussey-Smith. Comprising members from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the collective delves into the concept of 'to be here', exploring human connection through the examination of roots and rhizomes. A crawl space, typically found between the ground and first floors of a building, serves as a dark, narrow passageway where one can only crawl due to limited space. Acting as both an entry point for repairs and a barrier against toxic gases, "Crawl Space" embodies this theme of exploration, creating a platform for cultural and existential experiences to intertwine and unfold, examining our shared generational histories.
The exhibition encompasses various forms, shedding light on hidden aspects of family heritage, portraying the flux of identities, and reimagining tradition in the context of modernity. Phương Lê's piece, 'Thành Phẩm' (The Product), sets the backdrop with an exploration of intergenerational heritage and queer bodies through an unexpected family reunion. Similarly, Sofia Menta's photographic series employs experimental analogue techniques to delve into family dynamics, using distortion as a narrative device.
Martina Cavanna's installation, 'you, me, disrupted', presents a nameless, genderless persona interrupted and distorted through fabric, landscapes, and objects. Ruby Walker's film navigates the space between connection and disconnection, reflecting on the displacement of memories in the quest for solace and belonging. Lala Shi's fragile sculptures embody the ephemeral nature of memory, revealing hidden connections through neural pathways.
Saud Alsaleh's moving image installation, 'Metaphysics', explores mapping traditions, combining distorted animations to reimagine the physical world map. Jinyoung Park's framed projection utilizes collective past data to examine its ambiguous boundaries with the future. Finally, the collective work 'Culture Table', led by Sharon Xu, immortalizes the cultural and personal significance of the dinner table, emphasizing collaboration and storytelling as means of reclaiming personal histories.
"Crawl Space" presents an exploration of 'belonging' in the digital age, transcending the constraints of tradition and the expectations of the future. Themes of transience, cultural identity, and home are interwoven through motifs of light and transparency, inviting viewers to reflect on their own connections and experiences.