The future is set to come into focus through two new exhibitions at Hazelhurst Arts Centre, with a works by a talented duo set to sit alongside a groundbreaking virtual reality installation on loan from the National Gallery of Australia.
As part of the upcoming exhibitions, Bundeena-based artists Alison Clouston and Boyd will showcase their joint creative vision Delving and Branching, the product of the duo's decades-long focus on trees which is centered around a 21-metre cypress pine from Wiradjuri Country that was burnt in the 2019/2020 bushfires.
Accompanied by a soundscape, the cypress has been reconfigured in the gallery and is complemented by further sculptural works, some of them wearable, inspired by the artists' interest in architecture and tensions that exist between humans and the natural world.
Musician, composer and sound artist Boyd and visual artist Alison Clouston, have collaborated across many years to create immersive sound and sculpture installations, for galleries and alternative sites, both inside and out in the landscape.
The duo's work aimed to bring their close observations of the natural world into a poetically charged relationship with technology to examine our human place within the rest of nature.
"We have been making work about trees for decades now, inspired by them and by the human philosophies, science and stories around them," the said.
"The extinction crisis and climate change affect everything we do. We sense that art might nurture the imagination and compassion we need for positive social change. We invite participation from the diverse communities in which we are privileged to work, on Gandangara, Dharawal and Dabee Wiradjuri lands."
Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce said he was excited to see artworks feature so prominently alongside works from one of the nation's leading galleries, providing gallery-goers the opportunity to see two striking exhibitions side-by-side.
"These exciting exhibitions are another example of Hazelhurst showcasing outstanding Australian contemporary works by some of the nation's most significant artists," he said.
Like Clouston and Boyd, creative duo Jess Johnson and Simon Ward's Terminus also considers collective futures, and the effects of technology. Inspired by Sci-Fi, comics and fantasy movies, Terminus offers audiences an immersive choose-your-own adventure exploration of technology through their pioneering use of virtual reality (VR).
Illustrated across several years by Johnson and brought to life in the virtual dimension by Ward Terminus transports the viewer into an imaginary landscape of colour and pattern populated by human clones, moving walkways and gateways to new realms.
"It's the most ambitious work we've ever undertaken," artist Jess Johnson said. "Never before have we had the space or resources to create this sort of guided, sequential journey with multiple VR experiences."
The aesthetic of the VR experience spills out of the confines of the virtual world and into the gallery, filling the space with alien insignias, vibrant patterns, otherworldly sculpture and video works.
Hazelhurst Arts Centre Director Belinda Hanrahan said she was delighted to be able to showcase such innovative works by such extraordinary artists.
"These unique and innovative shows are a testament to the high calibre of artists and exhibitions we attract and host at Hazelhurst Arts Centre and confirms our dedication to supporting arts and culture in this area," Ms Hanrahan said.
The community is invited to attend a handover ceremony of the cypress from Dabee Wiradjuri to Dharawal Country at Hazelhurst on Saturday, June 25 at 11am.
The free exhibition runs until August 28.
