Still Vast Reserves

Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces (GCAS), Melbourne, presents the exhibition *Still Vast Reserves*, featuring the work of eight Australian artists, which will be held at the Magazzino d’Arte Moderna in Rome. Developed by GCAS Director Alexie Glass-Kantor and GCAS Curator Emily Cormack in collaboration with curator Francesco Stocchi, this exhibition explores the kinetics of compression, fostering a sculptural interpretation of the body and the self in relation to architecture. Still Vast Reserves features works across various disciplines, including print, performance, video and installation, by artists Christian Capurro, Ben Armstrong, Stuart Ringholt, Tom Nicholson, Alicia Frankovich, Marco Fusinato, Lou Hubbard and Laresa Kosloff, who are among Australia’s most innovative and critically acclaimed artists. Conceptually, Still Vast Reserves explores the distinctions between revelation and closure, from political, social and personal perspectives. By focusing on the interplay between the intimate/domestic and the public/structural, this exhibition reminds the viewer of their physicality, in relation to the dynamics of compression, intimacy and liberation.

The works on display offer a more nuanced perspective on Australian contemporary art than is typically presented internationally. At the opening, Marco Fusinato and Alicia Frankovich will present new performances, whilst Laresa Kosloff and Tom Nicholson will create new installations featuring their videos, alongside a series of prints by Benjamin Armstrong and new works by Lou Hubbard and Stuart Ringholt. To coincide with the exhibition, GCAS has produced a major 100-page publication designed by leading Australian graphic design studio Fabio Ongarato Design, featuring images and essays. This exhibition is a reciprocal project, arising from GCAS’s International Curatorial Residency Programme, held by Francesco Stocchi in July 2008. The Rome exhibition is Phase Two of the project, with Phase Three comprising an exhibition of Italian artists at GCAS in 2010. This concept of reciprocal exhibitions ensures that artists, curators, patrons and authors from each country have the opportunity to establish solid and ongoing relationships with new audiences, further expanding their creative communities. Still Vast Reserves is made possible with the support of Arts Victoria and the Australian Embassy in Rome.