Four exhibitions exploring landscapes, memory, environmental change and natural disasters will be presented at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery in Ballina.
The exhibitions bring together local and interstate artists whose work examines the relationship between people and the natural and built environments.
Northern Rivers Community Gallery is Ballina Shire Council’s flagship arts and cultural facility, showcasing contemporary art from across the Northern Rivers and beyond.
Fragile Mappings | Rachel Dun
Rachel Dun’s Fragile Mappings draws on the artist’s connection with the natural environment and time spent walking through forests, coastal landscapes and bushland.
The exhibition brings together prints and artist books capturing the physical and emotional experience of being within the landscape.
The works seek to create a sense of stillness, contemplation and belonging.
Emblems of Memory | Kirsty Marshall
Personal histories and reflection are central to Kirsty Marshall’s Emblems of Memory.
Through walking, photography and experiences of place, Marshall observes the natural and built environment and the relationships between colour, form and material.
Her paintings capture moments from everyday life through figurative and abstract approaches.
It Becomes Light | Antoinette O’Brien
Antoinette O’Brien’s It Becomes Light explores memory, transformation and the traces left by human and environmental disruption.
Drawing on lived experience in the Northern Rivers, the exhibition examines how spaces, objects and materials can carry stories of displacement, continuity and care.
It features ceramics, photography and found and salvaged materials from demolition sites, including pre-colonial wood.
The exhibition will be presented alongside The World Came Flooding In, in which O’Brien is one of the subjects.
The World Came Flooding In | Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine
The World Came Flooding In is an immersive installation and virtual reality documentary exploring personal experiences of natural disasters.
Following floods in 2022, artists Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine began examining what happens to a person’s sense of home when their belongings are washed away.
Using a trauma-informed approach, the artists worked with three flood-affected residents from Brisbane, Lismore and Maribyrnong to recreate miniature virtual rooms from their homes.
The recreations are combined with audio memories to provide an intimate portrait of life during a disaster through virtual and augmented reality.
The exhibition includes a free immersive VR experience recommended for people aged 15 and over. Parental guidance is advised and advance bookings are required through the gallery website.
All four exhibitions open on Thursday, October 15 and continue until Thursday, December 17.
The official exhibition launch will be held from 5.30pm to 7.30pm on Thursday, October 15.
Northern Rivers Community Gallery is at 44 Cherry Street, Ballina. It is open from 9am to 3pm Wednesday to Friday and from 9.30am to 1pm on weekends.
Like what you’re reading? Support North Coast Times by making a small contribution today and help us keep delivering local news paywall-free. Donate now