The Institute of Modern Art and QUT Art Museum present the launch edition of roaming art platform Frontier Imaginaries across two exhibitions: No Longer at Ease (IMA) and The Life of Lines (QUT Art Museum). Frontier Imaginaries is founded by QUT Alumnus Vivian Ziherl through the IMA Curatorial Fellowship.

Across the IMA and QUT Art Museum, local and international artists address the role of the frontier within the global era through works ranging from an oyster shell installation to monumental history paintings and multi-channel video. Linking both galleries together will be a specially commissioned exhibition design by award-winning Brisbane architects Kevin O’Brien and Claire Humphreys. This design will include an ‘assembly point’ conceived to host reading groups, community meetings, workshops, and artist talks.

No Longer at Ease at the IMA presents new commissions by Alice Creischer (Germany); Gordon Hookey (Waanyi/Australia); Rachel O’Reilly (Australia; Germany), in collaboration with PA/LA/CE Architects Valle Medina and Benjamin Reynolds (Switzerland, United Kingdom), and artist Rodrigo Hernandez (Mexico); alongside works by Juan Davila (Chile/Australia); Demian DinéYahzi’ (Diné/United Sates of America), Bonita Ely (Australia); Tshibumba Kanda Matulu (Zaire/Congo); Ryan Presley (Marri Ngarr/Australia); and Wendelien van Oldenborgh (Netherlands). These are joined by a presentation of Virtual Meanjin by the Virtual Songlines project, and a curated selection of materials from the North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum.

The Life of Lines at QUT Art Museum includes new commissions by Megan Cope (Qandamooka/Australia); Ho Rui An (Singapore); and Tom Nicholson (Australia); as well as works by DAAR (Palestine); the Karrabing Film Collective (Karrabing/Australia); Elizabeth A. Povinelli (United States); and Sawangwongse Yawnghwe (Myanmar/Canada). Also on display is a selection of archival real estate posters from the collection of the John Oxley Library; the film The Changing Face of Australia produced by the Shell Film Unit Australia in 1970; and a selection of photography documenting the installation of the Shell Oil Refinery in Geelong circa 1953-1958 by legendary fashion photographer Helmut Newton.

Acknowledgements

Frontier Imaginaries Ed. No1 FRONTIER, featuring No Longer at Ease and The Life of Lines is curated by Vivian Ziherl as a co-commission of Institute of Modern Art and QUT Art Museum. Frontier Imaginaries is a multi-platform project established by Vivian Ziherl through the IMA Curatorial Fellowship. The IMA Curatorial Fellowship was made possible with the support of the Australia Council for the Arts. The launch edition of Frontier Imaginaries is realised with the support of Arts Queensland through the Arts Showcase program.

The IMA is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and from the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, and through the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian Federal, State, and Territory Governments. The IMA is a member of Contemporary Art Organisations Australia (CAOs).