Melbourne Contemporary Jewellery and Object Biennial

radiantpavilion.com.au | Brunswick Arts Space
26 August – 3 September 2017

Chloë Powell Creative Director of Radiant Pavilion Melbourne Contemporary Jewellery and Object Biennial, Independent Curator

‘Island Welcome was selected for the Radiant Pavilion 2017 program through a rigorous selection process, based on the strength of its conceptual premise and the level of work previously produced by the artists involved. This exhibition made a notable contribution to our program, addressing a matter of great social and political currency, and further strengthening connections between artists from across Australia.

Our audience (myself in particular) was deeply moved by the sensitivity Belinda, and the artists she curated into the exhibition, brought to highlighting issues around Australian immigration and refugee policy.

Island Welcome facilitated open, respectful conversation and reflection on these issues, including an interview with Belinda on 3MBS Radio’. (Powell 2017)

Island Welcome

At a time when Australia’s treatment of refugees weighs heavily on the collective consciousness, Island Welcome makes a positive contribution to the conversation.

In the face of archaic, inhumane policy, the feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming. In this exhibition, curator Belinda Newick creates space for the artists to express their perspective freely, each piece standing as a strong and individual statement of its maker. Shown together, they are united by the form of the garland, an archetype that exists deep within material cultures across time. As a recognised act of welcome, the joy and lightness of this gesture is a positive symbol to counteract the cynicism of Australia’s hardline stance.

Through their relationship to the body, the works invite the audience to adopt the position of the wearer and consider where they themselves stand. The experience is immediately personal and human. While the government seeks to make asylum seekers invisible, these works represent the alternative – empathy, compassion, and inclusiveness. The progression of the project, adding new voices with each iteration, has supported the dialogue to grow and evolve where the policy has only hardened.

 Island Welcome is a public act of protest and a manifestation of a shared hope for better.

 Chloë Powell, 2021