Prizes are a chance to celebrate artists but the reasons why they choose to enter, and why prize organisers put up the cash, point towards growing cracks in the art world. Are we supporting a diverse range of artists, or are we gamifying the system?
Why aren’t more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in positions of power in the art world, and what needs to change? Wardandi (Nyoongar) Aboriginal woman and senior curator Clothilde Bullen explores these questions.
If life were a set of scales, what would the balance be for Australian female artists today? With over five decades of thinking, writing on, and curating exhibitions centring Australian women artists, Julie Ewington reflects on the position of female artists in Australia this International Women’s Day.
The arts industry is full of gatekeepers, but what happens when you become your own gatekeeper? Sophia Cai speaks with four artists who have stopped making work, or have slowed down in recent years, to ask whether they still consider themselves artists.
When the arts sector relies upon free labour from artists and arts workers, how do we have conversations about real job equity and sustainability? Sophia Cai unpacks this question.
“Dear 2022, I don’t want to write any more essays about the pandemic. Signed, Sophia Cai.” As we push ourselves to the finish line of 2021, Sophia Cai looks back on the last 12 months, reflecting on a year defined by the swiftness of loss and the struggle for optimism.
Building a personal brand can feel non-negotiable for artists—but is it worth the cost?
“When my editor suggested that I write a year in review column she cautioned me to take it easy on the bad news. We don’t need to be reminded once more that 2020 has been catastrophic. Make it upbeat. I’ll do my best.”
While galleries and museums raced to go digital during our national lockdowns, many artists embraced a slower form of connection: the mail.
