Gertrude Contemporary | Contemporary Art on the Road + Home

Contemporary Art on the Road + Home is a professional development program founded to bring artists, art educators and teachers together to exchange ideas, share creative experiences and explore contemporary art and culture. The program has been designed to introduce teachers to a range of hands-on, expertly designed strategies and resources for teaching contemporary art in their classroom.

The first part of the program consists of formal presentations by educators from Gertrude Contemporary, Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) and Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). It will provide insight into the 2018-19 artistic programs of the three organisations, enabling a deeper knowledge of contemporary arts, art practices and exhibitions. The morning session will also provide an opportunity for teachers to discuss and share ideas about contemporary art in relation to the Victorian Curriculum.

A presentation and hands-on workshop by Gertrude Studio Artist Spiros Panigirakis will form the second part of the program. From the perspective of his art practice and his role as a tertiary art-school educator Spiros Panigirakis will explore different strategies to approach making and production of conceptual artworks. These will include his use of craft (textiles and wood), design and drawing in the production of sculpture and installation.

Panigirakis is interested in how presentational devices, furniture and organisational frameworks influence the construction of meaning, form and sociability. He often works with groups in both a curatorial and collaborative capacity to address the sited conditions of art. He was part of the founding committee of the artist-run initiative CLUBSproject. Recent projects include Opening (2016) for Support Materials, Soft Furnishings at RMIT Project Space; Scarecrow (2015) for Treatment at the Western Treatment Plant; Moorabbin (2014) for the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture; Australian Studies (2014) with Fiona Macdonald for Cross Arts Projects, Sydney; Garden States (2013) for Melbourne Now at the NGV. He recently co-curated If people powered radio: 40 years of 3CR (2016) with Helen Hughes at Gertrude Contemporary; and raft (2013) at Craft Victoria. He has written for UN magazine, Enjoy Journal and on the practices of Shannon Lyons, Andrew Atchison, Fiona Macdonald, Fiona Abicare and Bianca Hester. Panigirakis is the coordinator of the Visual Arts program at MADA – the Faculty of Art Design and Architecture, Monash University. He is represented by Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne. Contemporary Art on the Road + Home is an initiative developed by Gertrude Contemporary in partnership with Monash University Museum of Art, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and three regional Victorian galleries: Latrobe Regional Gallery, Horsham Regional Art Gallery and Shepparton Art Museum.

Presenters: Siobhan Sloper (Gertrude Contemporary), Melissa Bedford (Monash University Museum of Art), Kathryn Hendy-Ekers (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority) and Gertrude Studio Artist Spiros Panigirakis.

Contemporary Art on the Road + Home is funded by the Department of Education and Training Victoria through the Strategic Partnerships Program (SPP).

No cost, but bookings are essential

Or phone Siobhan Sloper on 03 9419 3406

Image: Spiros Panigirakis, Garden States, 2013