Artspace Mackay Presents Intriguing Contemporary And International Works Until June 21st

The exhibition program at Artspace Mackay runs through until June 21, with Matters of Time: Contemporary Metal Practices anchoring the Main Gallery and highlighting an extended season of contemporary, cultural and international works on display. Photo credit: Hannah McNamara  

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Three new exhibitions were previewed last Friday at Artspace Mackay ahead of their official opening on Saturday 18th April, offering an early look at works spanning contemporary metal practice, cultural heritage and contemporary visual storytelling.

At the centre of the new program is Matters of Time: Contemporary Metal Practices, which will be presented in the Main Gallery until June 21. The exhibition explores the evolving role of metal in contemporary art and its relationship with time, bridging traditional smithing techniques with modern metalworking approaches.

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Curator Catherine Woolley said the exhibition was developed to strengthen connections between contemporary artists and regional audiences.

“This particular exhibition was really interested in connecting contemporary artists with regional areas,” she said.

The exhibition features artists from across Australia as well as international contributors, with metal itself central to the exhibition’s themes due to its transformative nature.

“It’s such an incredibly transformative material. It can be melted down, it can be reused. It also responds to atmospheric conditions, so it rusts and erodes and weathers.”

She said the artists draw on these qualities to explore ideas around time, change and environmental impact.

“The artists are also questioning around extraction, metals and material that’s mined from the earth, so they’re often thinking about more sustainable ways that we can work with this material through both art and design practices.”

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Also now open to the public is Poco a poco, se va lejos (Little by little, you go far) by Joshua Searle in the Foyer Gallery, alongside Skeletons by Judy Watson in the Foundation Gallery.

Searle said his work draws on traditional ceramic forms from Colombia alongside a personal exploration of family history.

“They were taken from traditional ceramic forms in Colombia,” he said. “A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to work with museums and archaeologists in Colombia for a few months, looking at my family’s history and the traditional histories and sculpture practices of Colombia.”

He said presenting the work in Mackay had been a meaningful experience.

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“I’m super excited to be here in Mackay. We’ve had the pleasure of getting to experience a lot of the beautiful natural areas that Mackay’s got to offer.”

Searle also praised the collaboration with the gallery team.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity to work with the whole team at Artspace Mackay. It’s just a pleasure to share this work with the community up here.”

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Even during installation, the exhibition prompted early public engagement, with two encounters leaving a lasting impression.

“A wonderful woman who works in the café next door was coming in with some Spanish tongue twisters associated with the artwork.”

“There was also another woman whose husband had just been diagnosed with quite severe illness and she said that seeing that work at this time meant so much to her,” Mr Searle said.  

“That really stuck with me.”

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Mackay Regional Councillor Heath Paton said the exhibitions marked an important cultural step for the region.

“We’ve always had beautiful pieces on display, but having these works here of this calibre is just a great step in the right direction for us as a region,” he said.

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