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© The contributors 2007. This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be directed to the publisher. Published by VIA-N — the Victorian Initiatives of Artists Network [email protected] www.via-n.org The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the editor, publishers, or funding partners. Printed in Australia. ISBN 978-0-9803554-0-6 Editor: Din Heagney Designer: Brad Haylock Editorial Committee: Brad Haylock, Din Heagney, Brett Jones, Sophie Knezic, Emma McRae, Claire Mooney Prepress & Printing: BPA Print Group Typeset in TheSerif, Lubalin Graph and Courier New. acknowledgements The Australia Council and Arts Victoria, for financially supporting Making Space through the Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy. Thanks in particular to Billy Crawford (Australia Council) and Stuart Koop (Arts Victoria) — who saw the opportunity to present an event celebrating the work of Victorian ARIs, with an ambitious accompanying publication. Further thanks to Lainie Kluska, Peng Foong and Kate Warren for their work at Arts Victoria on Making Space. Din Heagney, the managing editor of the Making Space program and publication. Brad Haylock, the designer of the Making Space project logo, program and publication. The Making Space editorial committee, who volunteered their time and knowledge on many nights after work to see this project happen: Brett Jones and Brad Haylock (West Space), Din Heagney (Platform), Emma McRae (Seventh), and particularly Claire Mooney (bus) and Sophie Knezic (Kings) who chased down interviews with many of the artists who established artist-run spaces in the past. Philip Ingman (69 Smith Street), for his copyediting and proofing work on this publication. Our writers: Zara Stanhope, Tessa Dwyer, Daniel Palmer, Suzie Attiwill, Terri Bird, and Richard Holt. Our printers, bpa Print Group, with particular thanks to John Stroud. Our publicist, Miranda Brown Publicity. Brett Jones, for his founding of the Victorian Initiatives of Artists Network (via-n) and the last 14 years he’s committed to artist-run culture and dialogue. Warren Taylor, for his ongoing work on the via-n Map and website, both of which are now in their third editions and freely available in print and online. Simon Maidment, director of West Space, who has been coordinating the project, keeping it on track during the last 12 months. The many individuals at each of the 21 ARIs with whom we have worked so closely over the last six months to create Making Space. The many thousands of artists who continue to present new work through the artist-run initiatives featured in Making Space and beyond. contributors Zara Stanhope is a curator and writer, the deputy director and senior curator at Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne. Zara is also a member of the un Magazine editorial committee and the South Project Advisory Committee. Tessa Dwyer is currentlyaphd candidate in cinema studies at the University of Melbourne. Formerly director of the Centre for Contemporary Photography, Tessa was also a founding member of 1st Floor: Artists and Writers Space. Daniel Palmer is a lecturer in the theory department at Monash Art & Design. Brett Jones is an artist, project coordinator and lecturer. He co-founded West Space with Sarah Stubbs in 1993. Suzie Attiwill is the program director of interior design, rmit University. She has a practice in exhibitions and writing, and is currently completing a phd by research project. Suzie sits on the board of West Space and in 2007 was elected chair. Terri Bird is an artist, part of the collaborative group osw and a founding member of clubsproject. Richard Holt is an artist and writer. Together with Andrew Seward, he established Platform in 1990 and coordinated Platform projects for than a decade. Richard has worked with many ARIs in a range of capacities. Sophie Knezic is a visual artist, writer and editor who has exhibited in numerous galleries in Australia and Japan and has been published in various art and literary titles. She is currently enrolled in an mfa at the vca and is a committee member of Kings ARI. Din Heagney is the co-director of Platform Artists Group Inc. and founder of box art window in Melbourne along with various art blogs including Diary of an Art Pimp and Run Artist Run. Brad Haylock is a lecturer in visual communication at Monash University. _vi /Making Space /Contents Contents ix Message from the Federal Minister for the Arts xi Message from the Victorian Minister for the Arts xiii Introduction xv Via-n: an association or a network? Brett Jones Essays 002 Unfiled notes on Victorian artist-run initiatives Zara Stanhope 012 Doing it for themselves: artist-run alternatives and contemporary Australian art Tessa Dwyer & Daniel Palmer 018 Why artist-run space? Brett Jones 025 Conversation with Jonathan Middleton, January–February 2007 Brett Jones 030 Spatial relations Suzie Attiwill 035 Exhibiting practices and organisational relations Terri Bird 046 Spinning Top Phee Hartley 052 Posthumously Edited by Sophie Knezic Histories 066 24seven 068 69 Smith Street 070 Allan’s Walk 072 arc 075 Blindside 077 bus 080 carni 082 Citylights 084 clubsproject 086 Conical 089 The Dolls House 091 Kings 093 Ocular Lab 096 Platform 099 Seventh 101 tcb 103 Trocadero 105 Victoria Park Gallery 107 west10 109 West Space 112 Yarra Sculpture Gallery vii / / Documentation 116 24seven 122 69 Smith Street 128 Allan’s Walk 134 arc 140 Blindside 146 bus 152 carni 158 Citylights 164 clubsproject 170 Conical 174 The Dolls House 180 Kings 186 Ocular Lab 192 Platform 198 Seventh 204 tcb 210 Trocadero 216 Victoria Park Gallery 222 west10 228 West Space 234 Yarra Sculpture Gallery 241 List of illustrations 244 Lists of artists 254 Contact details viii /Making Space / _ix / / Message from the Federal Minister for the Arts Artist-run initiatives (ARIs) occupy a crucial role in the Australian visual arts sector. They are a grass-roots network which is particularly important for young and emerging artists. Through ARIs, artists can hone their professional skills in a supportive environment with other artists; share knowledge, skills and equipment; take advantage of networking opportunities; and display their art in affordable and professional exhibition spaces. The Australian Government is proud to support ARIs through its Visual Arts and Craft Strategy (vacs). The vacs is a joint initiative of the Australian, State and Territory governments which is providing $39 million over four years to support Australia’s vibrant contemporary visual arts and craft sector. Through the vacs,the Australian Government has provided $150,000 in funding for Victorian ARIs so that young artists and craftspeople can create opportunities so vital in forging successful careers. A further $200,000 has supported the Making Space project. The Making Space project will see 21 ARIsworking together to link several exhibitions and forums as well as produce a publication to profile the ARI network in Victoria. The ARI network is an integral and important part of the visual arts sector and the Making Space project will be a tremendous experience for everyone interested in the development of Victoria’s contemporary arts and crafts scene as well as the young and emerging artists and curators who will participate. I wish everyone associated with the Making Space project every success in the future. Senator The Hon. George Brandis SC Minister for the Arts and Sport __x /Making Space / _xi / / Message from the Victorian Minister for the Arts Perhaps more than any other state in Australia, Victoria’s visual arts scene is underpinned by entrepreneurial artists; artists who initiate their own events and galleries to promote their own and their fellow artists’ work. Artist-run initiatives (ARIs) are often hotbeds of innovation and new ideas, driven by the energy and passion of individuals and small groups of artists. Each ARI has its own purpose, character and style. Together they reflect the diversity of Victoria’s arts community. A genuine grass-roots network of public spaces in their own right, ARIs create further opportunities for artists. They can provide stepping-stones into larger public and commercial galleries while playing a leading role in advocating artists’ rights and other issues. The Victorian Government is committed to supporting Victoria’s artists and visual arts across the State, acknowledging the crucial role ARIs play in the development of the sector. Making Space showcases the vitality and diversity of Victoria’s ARIs. From the nooks and crannies of Melbourne’s cbd to our longest running ARI, arc Yinnar in Gippsland. Through a major publication as well as a series of linked exhibitions and events, we celebrate the achievements of the sector. Making Space is an exciting endeavour to raise the profile of these important creative spaces and the artists who inhabit them. Lynne Kosky MP Minister for the Arts xii /Making Space / xiii / / Introduction Making Space: artist-run initiatives in Victoria is the publication to accompany an event of the same name. From April to June 2007, 21 artist-run initiatives (ARIs) around Victoria will present a simultaneous program of exhibitions, forums, performances and workshops designed to celebrate the diversity of this network and their contribution to Australian contemporary art. Making Space has been developed collaboratively by the Victorian Initiatives of Artists Network (via-n) and was initiated by the Australia Council and Arts Victoria. It is important to remember that each artist group featured in the Making Space project is an artistic community unto itself. While each organisation is presented in this publication as a member of the promotional group via-n, none of these ‘artist-run initiatives’ do things in exactly the same way. Some show art objects and art processes in galleries, some engage in critical dialogue to create change, and some present things that others are afraid to realise.