Canberra Re-Seen brings together eighteen local artists to explore the idea of Canberra as a community of people, a built environment, and a physical landscape. Over three months, the artists worked together to respond to bodies of work produced by three of Canberra’s landmark photographers – Marzena Wasikowska, Edward (Ted) Richards and Ian North –  to create new images inspired by the diverse ways in which we see and know our city.

 

Developed in partnership with Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra Re-Seen began as a series of PhotoAccess workshops responding to CMAG’s current Seeing Canberra exhibition. Mentored by established Canberra photographers, Marzena Wasikowska, Wouter Van de Voorde and David Hempenstall, the participating artists worked in three independent groups to investigate CMAG’s collections of Wasikowska’s, Richards’ and North’s work.

 

Inspired by Wasikowska’s interest in capturing the human qualities of Canberra, one group created intimate portraits of family and friends. They explored the idea that a city is best understood through its people. A second collective investigated Ted Richards’ interest in documenting the character of Canberra’s little-known places, shooting on 35mm film and creating darkroom prints in response to Richards’ dramatic black and white style. Working with documentary photographer David Hempenstall, a third group explored the idea of Ian North’s early 1980s images of Canberra suburbs as ‘ambivalent landscapes’ – vistas both bleak and beautiful.

 

Curated by Wouter Van de Voorde, Canberra Re-Seen selects and interweaves work from across the broader project, generating a simultaneously affectionate and challenging new look at our city and what it means to live here.