A new exhibition set to launch at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery [BRAG] this Friday will offer a host of insights into Australia's history.
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The exhibition, entitled RocoColonial, examines the overlap between the terms 'rococo' and 'colonial' and their relevance to Australia's multiple, concurrent histories.
'Rococo' is an art style characterised by fanciful, asymmetrical forms and elaborate ornamentation, while 'colonial' reflects Australia's history prior to federation.
Project initiator Gary Carsley said the exhibition invites audiences to consider Australia's history in a variety of contexts.
"It allows people to examine recognisable symbols and objects in an entirely new light," Mr Carsley said.
"For example, an artwork by Esme Timbery features 200 pairs of shell slippers arranged on the wall in the shape of Australia to represent the dispossession Indigenous people faced in the colonial era."
The exhibition features works by 15 contemporary Australian artists covering a wide range of mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, video, design and fashion.
In a change from regular BRAG exhibitions, RocoColonial is making use of Abercrombie House, with the building's Victorian-era architecture adding an authentic touch to the artworks.
"Abercrombie House is an aristocratic palace with myriad rooms, and it adds a realistic historical context to the artworks," Mr Carsley said.
"It's an extraordinary community resource, and Bathurst is very lucky to have such a well-preserved piece of history."
Mr Carsley said the exhibition approaches key aspects of Australia's history, good and bad, in creative and informative ways.
"We're not serving pre-digested airline food here, this is a complex meal bringing various interpretations of Australia's history to the plate," he said.
"This exhibition doesn't dumb down its narrative, it acknowledges its complexity and asks the viewers to think."
"As the old saying goes, a picture tells a thousand words."
The RocoColonial exhibition will launch this Friday at BRAG from 6pm.