Radiant Pavilion, a biennial event celebrating local and international makers, will be held from September 14-22, 2024, across 60 events in inner Melbourne. Recognized as the largest biennial of its kind in the southern hemisphere, Radiant Pavilion showcases contemporary jewellery from diverse regions, including Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the UK, and the US.
This year’s lineup features mixed-cultural First Nations artist Lisa Waup, multidisciplinary artist Aphra Cheesman, contemporary jeweller Joungmee Do, craft artist Cara Johnson, and object maker Claire McArdle, among others. The 2024 biennial marks the first in-person event since 2019, and Artistic Director Chloë Powell is enthusiastic about offering numerous opportunities to discover, engage, and reconnect with leading contemporary jewellers and object makers from Australia and around the world.
Event Highlights:
River Bloom: A site-specific artwork made from over 3,000 discarded tennis balls collected from the Birrarung River.
Curios from Country: An exhibition exploring the interplay between form and function.
Jewellers’ Dialogue: Sue Buchanan, Mary Hackett, and Leonie Westbrook will engage in a conversation about the potential of the “tin can,” a commonly discarded item used to extend the shelf life of food.
Notable Exhibitions:
Kidenere: Belinda Newick recounts her experience with the paired kidney exchange program between Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand through a collection of chains.
All is Intimate and Sift: These exhibitions combine contemporary jewellery, sculptural objects, and sound to explore different modes of material exploration. All is Intimate highlights Michaela Pegum’s background in contemporary dance and its influence on her jewellery practice, while Sift is a collaborative exhibition by artists Liv Boyle and Sara Retallick, featuring jewellery and sculpture with the window pane activated as a speaker.
Group Shows:
Deep Material Energy III: Bringing together eight artists from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Shared: Featuring seven First Nations artists who embrace experimentation in contemporary First Nations art.
Chloë Powell concludes that Radiant Pavilion enhances Melbourne’s diverse cultural offerings, stating, “Melbourne is considered to be Australia’s creative and cultural capital, and Radiant Pavilion brings a focus to contemporary jewellery and objects, which make an important contribution to that reputation.”
Radiant Pavilion promises to be a significant cultural event, highlighting the artistry and innovation within the contemporary jewellery and object-making communities.
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