Human-animal hybrids have captured our imagination in mythology and storytelling for thousands of years. But it is only in recent years that the amalgam has become a scientific possibility: in 2017 scientists successfully grew human stem cells in pig and sheep embryos. Scientists call these hybrids chimeras, after the monstrous Greek mythological creature pieced from lion, goat and snake members.
To coincide with the 200-year anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein, RMIT Gallery presents My Monster: The Human Animal Hybrid, an exhibition exploring our simultaneous fascination and horror with the fusion of the human and animal.
Curated by Evelyn Tsitas, the exhibition stems from her academic research into the human-animal hybrid in science fiction. Tsitas’ exhibition draws on ideas in humanities, feminism, philosophy, animal studies and the visual arts to examine “the complex issues surrounding human and animal relationships, our interconnectivity, and also how the hybrid form is used as a powerful metaphor”.
Presenting over 20 Australian and international artists whose work features the hybrid in various forms and mediums, My Monster examines the life cycle and narrative of the hybrid across five gallery spaces. Included are works by well-known Australian artists Julia deVille, Lisa Roet, Sam Leach, Sidney Nolan and Peter Booth.
The hybrid is the ultimate symbol of the outsider, tapping into our fear of difference and the Other. Human-animal hybrids disturb our sense of ourselves, leading us to question which fragment is more monstrous.
My Monster: The Human Animal Hybrid
RMIT Gallery
29 June – 18 August
Until 2026, Wanneroo Regional Art Gallery will be showing 53 original artworks by one of the most famous artists of the 20th century: Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol ICONS includes famous works such as Elvis (1963), Campbell’s Soup Cans (1968) and Marilyn (1967).
For the 24th Biennale of Sydney, Paris-based Fondation Cartier has commissioned 14 new works by Indigenous artists across the globe, curated by renowned Kuku Yalanji artist, Tony Albert.
From revamped industrial sites to brand new spaces in Sydney, to openings in Adelaide, Melbourne, Cottesloe and Darwin—across Australia there’s a flurry of new and reopening gallery activity.
From revelling in biography to what artists wear to creative workshops, Jane O’Sullivan writes on a new artistic retreat, revealing the joys of learning directly from artists.
Known for her beguiling, stained canvases, and her evocation of matrilineal Indigenous histories, Waanyi artist Judy Watson is now embarking on a 40-year survey at the Queensland Art Gallery.
The National Gallery of Victoria has unveiled their summer blockbuster exhibition for 2024–2025. Yayoi Kusama’s signature polka dots and pumpkins, along with world-premiere work, will appear in Australia’s largest retrospective exhibition of the Japanese artist.
