Tamworth Regional Gallery will launch its 5th Textile Triennial this Saturday 9 September. The 2023 exhibition entitled, Residue + Response, will also coincide with the 50-year celebration of the gallery’s National Textile Collection.
The Tamworth Textile Triennial is a renowned national exhibition and tour held every three years. It attracts artist participation from all states in Australia and showcases the best of Australian textile art to wide audiences and critical review. The exhibition will feature the work of 27 artists from around the nation.
The theme of this year’s event, Residue + Response: Connecting Histories and Futures, aims to explore the relationships between our history and past.
The meaning behind the theme is about the pain and growth of the challenging times in recent years. The residue is the residual memories and pain from experiencing traumatic events such as fires, floods and pandemics, while the response is the new ways of thinking and being that form from that residue.
The Tamworth Regional Gallery says “The 5th Tamworth Textile Triennial builds on this tradition with a future focus on the intangible essence of what it means to be human in the fabric of today’s society and will be an opportunity to celebrate Australian textiles practice, for artists to create and explore the relationality and residues of change through a multiplicity of materials, methods and meanings.”
Residue + Response has been curated by Dr Carol McGregor. Dr McGregor is internationally recognised for her multi-media installation pieces. Her work references her lineage from being both of Wathaurung and Scottish descent and she works with a broad range of different mediums. She currently lectures at Griffith University.
The exhibition will kick off with an official opening evening on Saturday 9 September from 6pm and will remain in Tamworth until 11 February 2024 before taking off on a two-year national tour.
Opening weekend will also offer a range of public programs, allowing visitors to engage with some of the featured artists, and participate in some hands-on workshops. Some of these do require bookings, so to secure your place, head over to the official website.
The exhibition will coincide with the 50-year anniversary of the Tamworth Textile Fibre Collection, an important milestone recongising and celebrating Tamworth’s position as a leader in textile arts.
The National Textile Collection, and the Textile Triennial now represent one of the most comprehensive representations of contemporary textile art in the country, placing the gallery in very important standing in the arts community.
For more information about the upcoming exhibition, or the galleries other programs and events, visit their website or Facebook page.
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