Sonja Porcaro, Work in progress, 2019, glitter netting, paperclip, approx. 11 x `15 x 14 cm
Photograph: Sonja Porcaro
Sonja Porcaro, Work in progress (detail), 2018, felt, masking tape, dimensions variable
Photograph: Sonja Porcaro
Sonja Porcaro, Work in progress (detail), 2019, felt, dowel, foldback clip, dimensions variable
Photograph: Sonja Porcaro
Artist Studio with Sonja
April 1 - May 29, 2019
The Mill welcomes Sonja Porcaro, our new Artist in Residence in The Mill's Exhibition Space. Sonja will be working on her project ‘Small moments: the city wakes, the city sleeps’.
Porcaro’s predominantly sculpture and installation work uses everyday objects- including found objects- and humble materials to create restrained and poetic assemblages, often investigating notions of memory, uncertainty and the fluidity of language and representation. In combining both intimate, hand crafted objects and materials with more robust structures and often employing repetition, Porcaro’s work also acknowledges and reworks minimalist traditions, often through gendered perspectives. The Mill invites you to witness Sonja’s creative practice and gain insight into her process as the residency unfolds across a two-month period. During her residency Porcaro will be presenting a number of public programs- watch this space!
‘The project for the residency at The Mill ‘Small moments: the city wakes, the city sleeps’ will explore the idea of daily rhythms and rituals within the city, with repetition (both as an investigative idea and formally through processes and materials employed) featuring throughout its duration. I will explore rituals/rhythms connected to the city of Adelaide (in particular to the Central Market, with reference to early childhood memories) and investigate the rhythms of those who inhabit, work in and visit the city also, with attention to the various languages spoken within the city and beyond.
The work will also respond to the nuances and particularities of the site of The Mill itself- both as a physical space and as a site of diverse social and cultural production and interaction- with ‘Small moments: the city wakes, the city sleeps’, ‘activating’ the space in quiet, contemplative and intimate ways: enacting attention and care.’ - Sonja Porcaro
Kids studio with Sonja Porcaro at The Mill
When: April 15, 10-11:30am, and April 16, 10-11:30am
Artist in Residence Sonja Porcaro invites kids to join her for a drop in studio session at The Mill this school holidays. Participate in Sonja’s project Small moments: the city wakes, the city sleeps, kids will be invited reflect on themes of sunset, sunrise and the rhythms and rituals of daily life.
Come with your parent/carer for a short creative session where kids will make an artwork looking at bright colour and bold form. Sonja will also be looking at some of the ideas explored in iconic children's book 'How the Sun got to Coco's house' by Bob Graham, and abstract painting by artists such as Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Melinda Harper and Wassily Kandinsky. At the end of the session kids will be able to take their artwork home.
Kids Studio details:
Age: 5 + (primary school age)
All materials provided
Children must be accompanied by parent/carer (the idea is to spend the session working alongside your big person), Please wear 'studio clothes' or bring a smock
Cost: $10 for a Kid + accompanying adult, $10 for additional children
Concession pricing available of request, please email Adele at visualarts@themilladelaide.com
Artist biography:
Sonja Porcaro is an Adelaide based artist working predominantly in sculpture and installation. Since graduating from the South Australian School of Art (SASA), University of South Australia in 1993 with First Class Honours, Porcaro has exhibited in spaces such as the Art Gallery of South Australia, the SASA Gallery, the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia, the Experimental Art Foundation (SA), the Australian Centre for Photography (Vic), The Performance Space and Artspace (NSW) and at Viafarini (Milan, Italy). Porcaro has also exhibited in many independent and artist run spaces in both South Australia and New South Wales.
Porcaro has undertaken many residencies throughout her career- funded by both Arts SA and the Australia Council for the Arts- including at the College of Fine Art (COFA), NSW, at SASA and in Milan, Italy (the Australia Council Residential Studio) and at the Athens School of Art Studio (Delphi Annexe), Greece. Porcaro has also curated and co-curated several exhibitions, given guest lectures to undergraduate Visual Art students, written reviews and articles and has contributed digital image/writing pieces to on-line publications/sites including the Electronic Writing Research Ensemble. Porcaro’s work has been collected by the Art Gallery of South Australia, COFA, NSW and is in private collections.
About the program:
The Mill’s Exhibition Space Residency program is presented in partnership with the City of Adelaide. The program positions artistic process to the fore, allowing audiences direct access to creative research and making. During this residency The Exhibition Space operates with a studio-like mentality where knowledge arises through participation and experimentation. The Mill believes that art positions itself within transitions and passages; it opens up opportunities for incursions through relation. The Exhibition Space opens the creative process to the public in a way that positions the city’s community as foundational to artistic research and the creative process, thereby connecting people to cultural experience, insights, understanding and meaning. The Exhibition Space hosts four residencies across the year. Artists in Residence have included John Blines, memorias exspirare 2 June – 25 August 2018, Louise Flaherty, Memorial for Forgotten Plants, 1 September – 14 November 2018, Matthew Fortrose, Cityboi 1 December 2018 – 10 February 2019 and Sonja Poracro, ‘Small moments: the city wakes, the city sleeps’ 1 April – 31 May 2019.
RESIDENCY DETAILS
Sonja Porcaro
Small moments: the city wakes, the city sleeps
April 1 - May 29, 2019
The Exhibition Space Residency
The Mill Adelaide
154 Angas Street, Adelaide SA 5000