Artists announced for Hobart Current: Epoch

Hobart Current Epoch

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) and the City of Hobart are delighted to announce the artists that have been chosen to take part in the second iteration of Hobart Current.

Hobart Current is a major biennial program that aims to nurture and showcase contemporary artists working across different media, culminating in an exhibition every two years.

The artists were chosen by Hobart Current: Epoch Creative Director Chris Twite following a comprehensive expression of interest process. Six of the nine projects are from Tasmanian artists, with the remainder selected from national and international applications.

The selected artists are: Isabella Maria Foster (Tasmania), Georgia Morgan (Tasmania), Lou Conboy (Tasmania), Nathan Maynard (Tasmania), Tricky Walsh (Tasmania), Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler (Tasmania), Rochelle Haley (NSW), Arushi Jain (US) and Florence Shaw (UK).

They will create new works across a variety of media, including visual arts, writing and performance, music and sound and screen and digital, responding to the 2023 theme Epoch.

The works will be presented at TMAG and at several public spaces across the Hobart CBD from November 2023 until February 2024.

Chris said that the team had once again been overwhelmed by the response to Hobart Current, having received over 150 expressions of interest from artists living in Tasmania, interstate and overseas.

“The breadth of the concepts and ideas proposed in response to the 2023 theme of Epoch was astonishing and a truly reflective of the incredible depth in the creative community here in Hobart and Tasmania,” Chris said.

“In November 2023, we will bring together these 10 phenomenal contemporary artists from Tasmania and around the world, to create new works and to explore what it means to live in these interesting times, to take stock of our lives, and to step forward into a new era.”

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was delighted at the combination of artists that have been selected to participate in Hobart Current: Epoch in 2023.

“Hobart Current has brought together contemporary artists across a range of visual and performance arts to explore a really interesting theme that I’m sure will provoke ideas and discussion,” Lord Mayor Reynolds said.

“The City of Hobart is pleased to be able to partner with TMAG to deliver this bi-annual creative project. Hobart is home to so many artists and cultural institutions. This is part of our role of being Tasmania’s capital city and attracting people to the city to experience the work of our talented creative sector.”

Director of TMAG, Mary Mulcahy, said that the museum will work with Chris and the selected artists to develop a rich learning and public program to accompany the exhibition.

“During the inaugural iteration of Hobart Current in 2021, we were pleased to be able to offer opportunities for Tasmanian students to embark on a series of creative exchanges with the artists, which resulted in the Liberty Canvas online interactive platform,” Mary said.

“We look forward to working with Chris and the Epoch artists on further opportunities for young people to participate in the creative process, as well as on ways the general public can respond creatively to the theme.”

Chris will now work closely with the selected artists as they begin to develop their new works. Visit the Hobart Current website to find out more about the artists and follow updates about their Epoch journey: www.hobartcurrent.com.

Hobart Current is presented in partnership between the City of Hobart and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.