Guided tour an eye-opening experience

Hany Armanious: The Golden Thread 2012 Monash University Museum of Art, installation view. Photo: John Brash

A recent visit to the Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) by a group of prominent Monash alumni provided an intriguing and energising experience, and introduced MUMA’s award-winning premises on the University’s Caulfield campus to a new and enthusiastic audience.

MUMA director Mr Max Delany led guests through the current exhibitions including Hany Armanious: The Golden Thread, first presented at the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011.

Hany Armanious is admired both in Australia and internationally for his idiosyncratic double-take on sculpture ranging from motifs of art historical icons to everyday objects. The exhibition presents cast sculptural forms that are simultaneously archaic and modern, formal and informal, uncanny and concrete. The Golden Thread was developed by the Australia Council for the Australian Pavilion in Venice and is presented alongside new works and an artist’s book, Prototypes, developed for MUMA. This exhibition is the Australian premiere.

Other current exhibitions explore ideas of identity. Adrian Paci: Per Speculum, a 35mm film installation, draws upon cinema and myth to reflect upon narratives of exile, flight and resistance. Self-conscious: Contemporary Portraiture, a selection of works from the Monash University Collection, explores the many ways artists approach contemporary portraiture.

Distinguished alumna Dr Margaret Leggatt AM said the viewing made her appreciate different modern ideas and modes of artistic expression.

“It was an intriguing experience that tackled my preconceived ideas about painting and sculpture,” Dr Leggatt said. “It was energising to be so challenged.”

The event also showcased MUMA’s premises located in the heart of the University’s art, design and architecture precinct at Caulfield.

“MUMA is a superb exhibition space with attractive architectural features and varied textures, enhanced by a beautifully designed Australian garden – a triumph for Monash and its community,” Dr Leggatt said.

The exhibition Hany Armanious: The Golden Thread runs until 7 April.

More about MUMA

MUMA aims to offer art lovers a unique perspective on the recent history of contemporary art and culture. It is also a leader in the research, production and support of new art and ideas. Through its exhibitions, public programs, and the Monash collection, MUMA makes an energetic contribution to, and interaction with, the intellectual and cultural life of the University and broader communities.

The Monash University Collection, comprising more than 1800 works, is a leading representation of contemporary Australian art from the 1960s to the present. It includes a diverse range of media from painting, sculpture and photography to video, installation
and new media. Changing exhibitions of selected works share this collection with the public.

To read more about MUMA, current and upcoming exhibitions, and public events including lectures, visiting artist talks, workshops and forums, visit www.monash.edu.au/muma.