Past Residents
Past Resident2013: Foundation for a Civil Society
Miran Blažek
Miran Blažek builds his work as recorded time of the constant quest for the meaning of the ordinary things we interact with in everyday life in order to build personal, emotional and mental caches of images. In his work there is a series of symbols which constitutes an open story where the words do not meet the needs of visual representation. His works function through traces which indicate that they derived from painting.
Born in 1983 in Osijek, Croatia, Miran Blažek graduated with a BA from the Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb in 2006 and completed his postgraduate studies in 2012 at Fine Arts Academy, Ljubljana. Since 2011 he has served as an external assistant in drawing classes at the Art Academy in Osijek. His selected soho exhibitions include Monochrome, Waldinger Gallery, Osijek, Whirlpool, CEKAO Gallery, Zagreb and Whirlpool the lost paintings at Kazamat Gallery, Osijek. Selected group exhibitions include T-THTaward@MSU, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagheb; Tu smo 3 (We are here 3) at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Pula; Radoslav Putar Award, Finals at Galzenica Gallery, Velika Gorica; Osijek-Pecuch/Eszek-Pecs, Nador Gallery, Pecs; Meeting point, Arab; The Essl Art Award, Glyptotheque, Zagreb and FONA, Kortil Gallery Rijeka.
Events & Exhibitions
Salon: Miran Blažek and Mark Ther
March 26, 2013
Past Resident2013: Foundation for a Civil Society
Heldi Pema
Heldi Pema’s artwork takes a critical view of cultural, social and political issues. He plays with the illusion of time and space, leading through his perception of the world. He uses a variety of materials and mediums such as photography, sound and installation. His recent interest involves old and new prints, texts and magazines as he develops a growing series of interventions. He reframes imagery by creating his own characters and stories.
Heldi Pema was born in Albania. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana, has attended Salzburg International Summer Academy of Fine Arts (Austria) several times, and was awarded AIR by “KulturKontakt” in Vienna and “O’Artoteca” in Milan. His work has been shown at the 52nd International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Albanian Pavilion; Museum of Contemporary Art – Villa Croce, Genova; European Month of Photography, Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin; ViennAfair, Vienna; 2nd Tirana Biennale; The National Gallery of Arts, Tirana; A+A Gallery, Venice and The Promenade Gallery, Vlora.
Events & Exhibitions
Salon: Francisco Montoya Cázarez and Heldi Pema
January 15, 2013
Past Resident2012: Creative Australia
Kellie O’Dempsey
Through performance drawing, Kellie O’Dempsey explores liminal space and movement as narrative. With drawing as her dialogue, O’Dempsey spontaneously translates the immediacy of experience into line, form and gesture with charcoal and ink and more recently an electronic drawing device. Often working in collaboration with musicians, performers and artists, her process investigates the interconnected experience of human engagement. Via improvisation, elements of performance are translated into drawn works as an immediate means of response. Her work is currently focused on the synthesis of analogue and digital drawing.
Kellie O’Dempsey has developed installations in a vast array of spaces including: in the rehearsal studios of a ballet company (Queensland Ballet 2003), rock festivals, in The Barbican Theatre-London (2005) to commuters in subway during rush hour in Melbourne (2007). Performances and residencies include: Soundlabs, Italy, 2005-2006; Festival Internationale de Benicassim, Spain, 2005-2006; M on The Bund, Shanghai, 2009-2010; Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Art, 2011; Elephant Rock cliff face – BLEACH 2012; Live collaborative performance with Michael Dick, Brian Richie and the Tasmanian Improvisers Orchestra at MONA FOMA, Hobart, 2012, The 18th Biennale of Sydney and upcoming at Draw International, France, 2013.