13 November 2003 to 16 January 2004
'Marginalia' refers to the notes, sketches and doodles found in the margins of a book – a useful metaphor for the artworks that were produced in response to the 'text' of the Town Hall. In this exhibition, the artists presented their comments and observations around the 'central text' of the Melbourne Town Hall.
Located in the City Gallery, their interventions into the Town Hall site and context blur the distinction between current life and lived history, artefact and object, the academic and everyday. The permeability of the text – its ability to host intellectual comment, as well as be the subject of play, and to then re-absorb these influences – resulted in works that tread a line between pencil scratchings and critique, documentation and inspiration.
Marginalia featured works by Marc Alperstein, Deb Bain-King, Domenico Cozzolino, Bridget Keena, Kirsty Powers and Ann Werheim.
Curated by Kit Wise
Kit Wise is an artist, art writer and curator. After graduating from Oxford University and the Royal College of Art with an MFA in sculpture, he received the Wingate Rome Scholarship in Fine Art in 1999 to study at the British School at Rome. In 2001, he received a Boise Travel Scholarship, administered by the Slade School of Fine Art, for subsequent research in New York and Australia.
Since moving to Australia in 2002, Kit has received three Australia Council grants in the categories of presentation and promotion (as curator), skills development (Tokyo studio residency) and new work (emerging). He is currently course coordinator of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours and studio coordinator of drawing in the Faculty of Art & Design at Monash University.
Marginalia was a partnership with Monash University.