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News - 16th of October 2020

Hatched 2020 Studio Artists Interview

Hatched 2020 Studio Artists Interview

 

Hatched: National Graduate Show 2020 artists Annie Huang, Saleheh Gholami and Siahne Rogers have been occupying a shared studio space at PICA for the past four weeks. This is the frst time in Hatched history that a collaborative studio residency between three artists with diverse practices and projects has been undertaken, and it is in the spirit of Hatched – experimentation, collaboration, and making connections – that this residency has occurred. In this interview, Annie and Siahne chat with Hatched Curatorial Fellow Miranda Johnson about their experiences exhibiting in Hatched and conducting a residency at PICA.

Miranda Johnson: Has sharing a studio with other Hatched artists-in-residence changed the way you work at all?

Annie Huang: Rather than change the way I work, I think for me it has reinforced the importance of talking and sharing ideas and processes when it comes to art making. I think the best part of the studio residency and what I was initially most excited about was the opportunity to talk to other people in a similar stage as I was.  Especially coming out of a strange lockdown phase, and trying to navigate all the insecurities and existential crisis that came with it, to be able to talk to the other artists and have them relate helped me process my art and the things I have been making.

Siahne Rogers:  I think a lot of creatives would agree that getting to spend your days bouncing off ideas, testing things out (and generally just having lovely chats) Is the best thing about being a practicing artist and having a studio. It gives you the opportunity to grow in your own processes, whether that’s making or thinking when you’re having these kinds of shared experiences.  Some of the greatest things I have learned about being creative have come from sharing studio spaces, and this residency has had that potential too!

MJ: What have you been using this studio time to work on?

AH: I have been using this studio time to really get back on the road with making things. Just prior to lockdown happening, I enrolled myself into a Master by research course in fine arts, so I have been using this studio time to work on that. I’ve been playing with some sculptural mediums and utilising the space and walls to reflect on and expand my previous work.

SR: I have used my residency to develop further on a work I have been making for an upcoming exhibition Heathcote Select 2020 at Heathcote Gallery. The residency has given me a chance to reflect more on what I wanted the artwork to be about and how it all comes together in a gallery space.

MJ: Finally, what’s your experience exhibiting at PICA in Hatched 2020 been like? Have there been any particularly valuable experiences or challenges?

AH: Exhibiting at PICA has been SUCH a valuable experience for me in learning to process my work outside of an academic institution amongst such an amazing group of artists. From the initial talks and communicating about install, to the actual install and all the programs and talks that the PICA team have helped us organise, it has all been such an important learning experience.  I think the biggest challenge and most valuable experience was learning to talk about my work and communicate to a public audience, and to receive feedback. 

SR: Hatched has been an eye-opening experience in what it’s like to work on something so closely over time, and finally, put it out in the world. It’s been amazing to witness how people engage with your own ideas and outcomes, and how different that can be to your own expectations and interpretation! I feel like that has been a really important learning curve. It has also been so amazing to share a space with incredible creatives from across the country and learn more about them and their practices.

 

Image: 1. Annie Huang, Without 境 (borders), 2019, Installation at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. Photo by Bo Wong.
2. Saleheh Gholami, TO BLUE, 2019, Installation view at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. Photo by Bo Wong.
3. Siahne Rogers, “GO FOR BROKE!” and “THIS COULD ALL GO BELLY-UP AT ANYTIME!”, 2019, Installation view at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. Photo by Bo Wong.