Arts Project Australia presents Spring Back

Emerging from Melbourne's fifth lockdown and heeding the restrictions lingering behind, the seventh edition Spring1883 steps out of one building to spread itself across Melbourne through satellite spaces.

As part of the art fair, Arts Project Australia will present a satellite booth in the form of an immersive installation from 4-7 August showcasing five artists, with the collection aptly titled Spring Back.

The satellite booth will take residency next door to the gallery at Collingwood Yards at the soon-to-be home of the ILBIJERRI Theatre Company.

Spring Back exhibits recent works by five artists pushing their practice and creating work with strong thematic depth. Ruth Howard’s luscious collection of organic ceramic stacks alongside the verdant canvases and ceramics of Georgia Szmerling; multi-disciplinary artist Chris Mason’s immersive installation of paintings, ceramics and miniature sculptures of large women and snakes, contrasting with Mark Smith’s ceramic and fabric words, then juxtaposed with Julian Martin’s sublime abstract pastel drawings.

Sim Luttin, Gallery Curator at Arts Project Australia says, “Our hearts go out to the Spring1883 team, the galleries and artists caught up in the Victorian and interstate restrictions that has seen them cancel their Spring installations, such as Darren Knight Gallery in Sydney.

APA is one of the lucky ones—we have managed to partner with Collingwood Yards and Ilbijerri Theatre Company at the last minute, securing the space at Collingwood Yards just before they move in. We plan to present a reimagined exhibition for our Spring1883 satellite booth, featuring outstanding new works by five leading artists from APA, that small groups of local visitors can come and see in person.”

Set to take place at The Hotel Windsor, the in-person art fair was called off due to current event restrictions in Victoria. In lieu of the cancellation, a number of participating galleries will now showcase their fair ‘booths’ at satellite spaces across Melbourne.

Spring1883 is a young and exciting alternative art fair that presents the best of contemporary art practice from Australia and New Zealand. The seventh edition will see 29 galleries present compelling work in physical spaces and online throughout August.

A creative social enterprise providing support for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Arts Project Australia is a not-for-profit organisation promoting artists work and advocating for inclusion within contemporary art practice. Since its inception, Arts Project Australia has continued to strive for excellence, both in the quality of the exhibitions presented at the Collingwood Yards space, and the quality of the innovative studio program attended by 150+ artists at their Northcote location and online (Satellite Art)