04 Mar, 2016
The Collections Project Chris De Rosa In Conversation With Tony Kanellos
As part of this year’s Fringe Festival, the City Library will be exhibiting the wonderful results of artist Chris De Rosa’s Collections Project.
During a three month residency at the City Library, Chris delved into the vast City of Adelaide Archive and the City Library’s History Hub collections to develop new work for exhibition.
Interested in how the parks and plants reflect the dreams and aspirations of society, Chris researched the way flora is used in commemorative and celebratory displays, and the impressions they leave on the general public by engaging with the community at City Library.
“Although these [flower] displays were symbolic, they were also highly aesthetic and can be viewed as meaningful or just as importantly for their beauty,” said Chris.
“In some way they also seem to play a part in ‘feminising’ the public space.”
The exhibition will be officially launched this Saturday with a lively conversation between Chris De Rosa and Tony Kanellos, Cultural Collections Manager and Curator of the Museum of Economic Botany.
De Rosa’s approach to the project and the social history of the City’s parklands will be the main point of discussion.
Anne Rundle, Team Leader Library Services, said the Collections Project is a unique collaboration between Guildhouse and the City of Adelaide.
“The project provides selected artists the opportunity to undertake a residency at the City Library while researching an area of the City’s Archive and library collections to develop new work for exhibition.”
“The development and exhibition of work produced when creative practitioners undertake such research not only allows for new interpretations of the collections but also results in new audience experiences.”
The official launch starts at 11:00am this Saturday 5 March at the City Library in Francis Street.
Image Credit: Chris De Rosa, Florilegia, 2016, (detail in progress) installation, digital inkjet, pigment stain, collage, wood, lino, 3.5m (w) x 2.4m (h). Photographer: Kate Elms.
For more information
Matt Halliwell