Soft Core
Koji Ryui, HAVE A NICE DAY, 2014, unfired clay, polyethylene bag, dimensions variable. Courtesy the artist and Sarah Cottier Gallery, Sydney.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Soft Core presents artistic practices that explore the many facets of ‘softness’ – from large-scale inflatables to forms made from soft materials to materials that simply look soft. These artists are making works that demand attention – forms that are not simply bumped into while looking at paintings.
In the 20th century, artists began to disassemble the notion of traditional sculpture by adding and subtracting constructions, incorporating found objects and designating everyday items as art. These adaptive and divergent methods of form making continue today in a generation of artists who define sculpture in the negative condition: not bronze, not stone, not the macho force of the blast furnace.
The materials in this exhibition encompass air, inflatable nylon, unfired clay and plastics bags – materials that have been co-opted for their versatility and their mutability between function and emotion. Some of the works in this exhibition require activation – such as electricity or inflation to become whole while others inhabit their softness quietly.
Soft Core investigates these practices by presenting existing works and newly commissioned works by a diversity of artists who question the fluctuating meaning of what it means to be soft.
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Micheal Do is a curator and writer based in NSW. His exhibition Soft Core, exploring soft sculptures developed for Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre is currently touring thirteen regional galleries in NSW, VIC and QLD. Do previously held positions of Producer of Creative Programs at The Red Room Company; Exhibition Manager at Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest; Parade Coordinator (Community Engagement) at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras; Programs Officer at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and is the Assistant Curator at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. In 2018 he was awarded The Freedman Foundation Scholarship for Curators.
ITINERARY
| Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, NSW | 15 October – 4 December 2016 |
| Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, NSW | 3 February – 12 March 2017 |
| Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW | 30 March – 14 May 2017 |
| Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, NSW | 9 June – 30 July 2017 |
| Cowra Regional Art Gallery, NSW | 26 August – 8 October 2017 |
| Shoalhaven Arts Centre, NSW | 4 November – 13 January 2018 |
| Shepparton Art Museum, VIC | 27 January – 18 March 2018 |
| Horsham Regional Art Gallery, VIC | 19 May – 22 July 2018 |
| Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, NSW | 11 August – 28 October 2018 |
| Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, QLD | 10 November 2018 – 27 January 2019 |
| Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, QLD | 15 February – 18 April 2019 |
| Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, QLD |
6 September – 3 November 2019 |
READ MORE
EDUCATION RESOURCE
An exhibition curated by Micheal Do, in conjunction with Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and toured by Museums & Galleries of NSW. This exhibition is supported by the Visions regional touring program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to cultural material for all Australians.
