FRONT GALLERY: OLIVIA KATHIGITIS (SA) - RESTLESS SIEIDI

Opening - 5:30 PM - Wednesday, 1st November

Artist Talks - 6:00pm

Running - 2nd - 18th November 2017

Fear and its apprehension are powerful and destructive – People are rarely capable of understanding ideas, but  they can easily understand stories. Relatability offers weight and stability to build a foundation and following.

Restless Sieidi is a new project that references traditional Sami shaman rituals, ties to the land, biophilia and a helpless need for answers. This project has grown from recent participation in the La Wayaka Current Arctic residency in 2017 on Sørøya Island, Norway. 

Imitating the arctic landscape Restless Sieidi is the rebirth of shaman tradition. Pulling at the strings of biophilia, this exhibition looks back at the landscape for answers of peace.

Kathigitis is a sculpture and installation artist based in Adelaide, South Australia. Focussed on themes of false realities and the abstract span of consciousness, she presents the fragility of the mind and the anxiety of consequence.

*A sieidi is a spiritual focal point within traditional Sami shamanistic culture. Thought to be a gateway to the spiritual world, these rock formations scattered throughout the land played as sites of worship and sacrifice. Set in high prominent places, a sieidi is thought to hold power over all animals, people, and objects. These found or made formations give hope, power and anxiety – a job to upkeep; a constant reminder of the fragility of our foothold in this world.

This project is proudly sponsored by the Helpmann Academy.

Photography by Steph Fuller