One of the first national art exhibitions since COVID lockdown will feature Tasmanian artist and University of Tasmania creative arts PhD candidate and alumnus Philip Mylecharane (artist name Philip Sulidae).
Hatched: National Graduate Show 2020 opens at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) in Western Australia today, Friday 10 July. After a reschedule, this is the first exhibition for PICA since closing its doors in March due to COVID-19.
Sulidae’s installation Dirt Dreams (mixed media, 2020) will be displayed for 14 weeks, the longest running Hatched since the annual exhibition began in 1992.
“It’s pretty flattering and a really good opportunity to be selected for Hatched because it showcases contemporary art coming out of every art school in Australia,” Sulidae said.
For this year’s Hatched, fifty-six students were nominated by 20 tertiary art schools nationally, with the final selection made by a panel of Australian artists and art sector professionals.
Sulidae, who has a background in visual art, always wanted to combine sound and visual elements.
“Sound is a very fugitive thing to work with, so when you’re putting it into something concrete like sculpture, it can be difficult to do that without it feeling like the sound is tacked on,” Sulidae said.
An allusion of electricity and sound, Sulidae has connected a cable to each of the three sculptured forms, but they unexpectedly fall onto the floor, ends disconnected.
“You’re not going to hear anything but it’s a nod to John Cage’s artwork 4'33" in the sense that whatever you can hear in the ambient environment around you, you might actually start to associate with the sculptures,” Sulidae said.
“Some people think the sculptures are quite archaeological, almost like they’ve been dug out of somewhere. Other people have said they are like tree branches – very natural things, but they are very unnatural really. They’re plastic.”
Sulidae has also contributed a podcast introducing his artwork to the exhibition’s digital program, which is available on PICA’s Instagram page.
Originally from Sydney, Sulidae relocated to Hobart two years ago to study at the University of Tasmania’s School of Creative Arts and Media. A visit to the Hunter Street creative arts campus made up his mind to study in Hobart.
“It was an open day and when I saw the studios, I was blown away with them and how much access students get,” Sulidae said.
“For people who want to study art, Hobart is a really good place to come to.”
Hatched will run from 10 July until 18 October. The $50,000 Schenberg Art Fellowship will be awarded at a special celebratory event during the course of the exhibition.
More information about the exhibition is available at pica.org.au/show/hatched-2020-2/