Monday 1 February 2021
In light of yesterday’s announcement by the WA Government and the unfolding COVID-19 situation in Perth we will be postponing the opening of our Summer exhibitions – the gathering and SONGS from Patrick William Carter.
This includes events scheduled across the weekend of Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February, as well as our first week of exhibitions from Tuesday 9 February.
We are really excited about these exhibitions and, like you, disappointed about the delay of their launch, however, it is important for us to ensure the safety of our staff, artists, partners and audiences.
We urge everyone to follow the State Government’s guidance over the next five days and we look forward to returning to normal operations as soon as possible. To see the latest COVID-19 updates in Western Australia then please head here.
In the meantime if you would like to stay updated then we encourage you to visit our website or follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We will be updating these platforms regularly as more certainty takes shape. This will include our forthcoming opening dates and times.
We value your support and appreciate how important the arts are to a community’s sense of well-being. Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this unusual time.
Until further updates,
Yours truly
PICA
Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
Friday 10 July 2020
Today, PICA reopens its doors to the public with the 29th edition of the Hatched: National Graduate Show. PICA has adopted a COVID-safe approach to operation and developed a rigorous plan in response to COVID-19.
Under Phase 4 restrictions in Western Australia, each occupied space within PICA has a maximum capacity of 1 person per 2 square metres – we ask that patrons please follow staff instructions and observe signage throughout the venue.
PICA has enhanced cleaning and hygiene arrangements and all staff have been encouraged to complete AHA COVID-19 Hospitality & Tourism Hygiene Courses online training modules.
We hope everyone takes care of each other during these times. PICA is confident that we have taken measures and made improvements which will ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone who visits us.
If you feel there are improvements we can make, your feedback is welcome and appreciated; please contact us via email at info@pica.org.au.
Yours truly
PICA
Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
Monday 23 March 2020
To our valued community,
As COVID-19 spreads, it’s impacting millions of people around the world. For all of us, this means weathering disruptions to daily life as we know it for the greater good.
In an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, and help keep the community safe and healthy, the PICA galleries will close with immediate effect and will remain closed to the public for the time being.
We are working with our artists to minimise the effect the closure will have on them and will continue to review our programming options on an ongoing basis. We also look forward to connecting with you in a range of ways in the coming weeks and months.
In the meantime, look after yourselves and each other, and continue to look to art and culture as a beacon of hope and inspiration.
If you need to reach us, please contact info@pica.org.au and your message will be directed to the relevant staff member.
Yours truly
PICA
Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
Tuesday 17 March 2020
Many of you will be wondering how PICA is responding to the threat of novel coronavirus COVID-19. In line with current advice from government and health authorities, PICA is acting to protect the health and wellbeing of its staff, artists, audiences and wider communities.
Chalkroom VR experience
As a precautionary measure, from today onwards, the Chalkroom virtual reality experience by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang will no longer be available.
The nature of the VR experience does not follow current guidelines around social distancing and whilst we have been adhering to strict hygiene procedures during the operation of the work, to further reduce risk to our staff and patrons we have decided to deactivate the VR aspect of Chalkroom. We will however keep the gallery space open, so visitors can continue to view the installation.
Bunny, Tie Massage Workshop & Show Room
As the artists of Bunny (Daniel Kok and Luke George) are currently in Singapore, the recent government mandated travel restrictions around quarantine for anyone arriving in Australia mean we will not be able to proceed with the season as scheduled for 31 March – 4 April. We are looking to reschedule the season to a later date and will release this information as it becomes available. Existing Bunny ticketholders will be contacted directly by PICA staff in the coming days.
PICA and STRUT Dance will also be rescheduling the Tie Massage workshop and Show Room. Applicants will be notified via email of the postponement. We thank everyone for their interest in this development program and look forward to connecting local artists with Luke and Daniel in the future.
General information
PICA’s Galleries will remain open to the public with our regular hours until further notice. To prevent the spread of illness, we are sanitising commonly touched areas daily, as well as encouraging visitors to wash their hands regularly, and staff to stay at home if they are ill. We remind our staff, artists, and audiences to stay mindful of the advice given by government health authorities.
Our community’s health is of utmost importance to us and we are closely monitoring the development of COVID-19 in Western Australia. Everything is subject to change in the coming days and weeks, and this page will stay updated.
We thank you for your ongoing support in these difficult times.
Resources
Federal Department of Health and Chief Medical Officer
Public health information for Western Australia
Coronavirus Health Information Line 1800 020 080
SUPPORT ACT
https://supportact.org.au/wellbeinghelpline/
Tel: 1300 731 303
LIFELINE
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Tel: 13 11 14 / 0477 13 11 14
BEYOND BLUE
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
‘Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak’
Tel: 1300 22 4636
I LOST MY GIG
https://ilostmygig.net.au/
THE AUSTRALIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
https://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/about/covid-19/
Image credit: Laurie Anderson & Hsin-Chien Huang, Chalkroom, 2020. Installation view at PICA. Photo by Bo Wong
