DISTANT BRIDGES

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“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu – Chinese philosopher (604 BC – 531 BC)

One merely has to ponder on Lao-tzu’s insight momentarily to see how clearly it resonates with the Australian story. As our current Government embraces new policies on asylum seekers and as a proud supporter of Amnesty International Australia, NG Art Gallery sees the potential for art and visual narratives to consider and investigate the plight of refugees.

NG Art’s Distant Bridges showcases some of the most celebrated names in Australian contemporary art such as Garry Shead, Euan Macleod, Reg Mombassa, David Fairbairn, Angus Wood, & Fiona White to name but a few. Bringing together 15 artists in total, the exhibition is not only about heart-gripping stories, of which are plentiful, but is also about raw emotion. The show is as much about being intoxicated by an experience as it is about fine painting.

It is hard to imagine the reasons a person would willfully leave their life behind. We’re all aware that over the years both human and mother nature has influenced the number of people who land on Australian shores hoping to rebuild their lives.

As a delicate tribute to those who have suffered, Distant Bridges details a certain searching – a searching for freedom, a searching for self, and a searching for pure existence.

This exhibition is unique in the way it dislocates the many temporal and spatial boundaries faced by those seeking asylum. We are encouraged to recognise the difficulty of understanding what it means to be human in changing socio-political contexts. In conjunction with Amnesty International, NG Art and participating artists lay out sensitive tributes to those who have experienced something we have not.

The success stories of triumphing over inconceivable adversity are heartening and inspiring. Extraordinary stories of reconstructing broken pasts lies at the very core of each and every asylum seekers voyage – tales of recreation, tales of celebrating safety, and tales of relief. Distant Bridges spotlights the exquisite beauty to be discovered in each individual story, so whether you come to smile or cry it is an exhibition not to be missed. Deeply sincere about supporting the refugee cause, NG Art will be donating 20% of all profit to Amnesty International.

Download a pdf invitation to Distant Bridges

For further information, please email ng@ngart.com.au