Villain Edit

Over five years, Georgia Banks has rigorously delved into the world of Reality TV and AI, exploring ideas of death, fame and legacy, fearlessly provoking viewers to critically engage with the ineffable ways these mediums shape and influence identities, relationships, and the zeitgeist of our nation more broadly. Villain Edit brings together key works by Banks into a first-time survey exhibition with a major new performance commission and premiere of Death Warmed Up on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th of September. The video work A Four Letter Word (2020) portrays a dramatic reenactment of Bank’s interview with executive producers of a popular reality TV dating show. Remains to be Seen (2021 –) explores death and legacy in the age of public personas through a competition in which the artist’s corpse is the prize. DataBaes (2022–23), commissioned by NGV for Melbourne Now, sees Banks developing an AI chatbot called Gee, using data from auditioning for reality TV shows. Villain Edit offers audiences the opportunity to experience Banks’ remarkable and ambitious works together for the first time, connecting to Banks recent exhibitions at NGV, Gertrude Contemporary, Centre for Contemporary Photography, and Cementa Festival. The free opening event runs from 4pm–6pm on Saturday 2 August. Platform Arts is a contemporary arts space supported by the City of Greater Geelong, Creative Victoria, and Creative Australia.