As Sydney’s cultural life opens back up for another attempt at a lockdown-free summer, Le Courrier Australien invites all art-lovers to plunge into the mesmerising works of the American contemporary artist Doug Aitken. His exhibition New Era is now open, and will run until February 6, 2022.
Who is he?
Born in California in 1968, Aitken is a multidisciplinary artist who is internationally recognised for his ambitious manipulation of artistic conventions and genres. In his work, he aims to “disrupt familiar art-viewing patterns and jar viewers awake, narrowing the gap between them and the art.” (Los Angeles Times.) Aitken draws on a wide array of forms to represent features of the natural landscape and the ocean, from print media to sculpture, films to installations, sound, and live performance.
The MCA describes Aitken’s artistic approach as one that “envelops the spectators in a kaleidoscope of moving imagery and sound, exploring a world where time, space and memory are fluid concepts.” (MCA)
What can we expect to see from Aitken at the MCA?
Housed at the MCA until February 6, 2022, as part of the Sydney International Art Series, Aitken’s exhibition New Era is a series of work that the artist himself describes as “open and expansive, the kind of project I want the viewer to be immersed in.”
Whilst the exhibition is specific to Sydney and the harbour, once inside it, the spectator could be “everywhere and anywhere. You could really fall into the works, get lost in them…” So, if you’re on the hunt for a refreshing dose of escapism where COVID can finally take the back seat, this exhibition is for you.
Enriching and dynamic, New Era strives to empower and encourage the viewer to piece together their own narrative, and to speak to our future as a landscape of ideas that they can really step into and contemplate. Aitken aims for all spectators to walk out of New Era with a new perspective on things; “with different thoughts and energies.”
Can’t be there in person but still want to go? No worries!
The MCA website has you covered; where you can take a self-guided tour through Aitken’s works from the comfort of your home, with audio descriptions by the Chief Curator at the MCA, Rachel Kent. We invite you to follow this link to the MCA Website for more details about exhibition times and prices. https://www.mca.com.au/
Further information about the artist can be found at his website: https://www.dougaitkenworkshop.com/
*Quotes used: Los Angeles Times, Doug Aitken in an interview with the MCA, the MCA website.
Image: Widewalls
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