A new exhibition considering the importance of solitude in contemporary art

The University of Melbourne is set to unveil nightshifts, a contemplative new group exhibition considering the importance of solitude through contemporary arts practice. Presented at Buxton Contemporary from 26 May to 29 October 2023, the large-scale exhibition features more than 30 works drawn from the University of Melbourne’s art collection, alongside two new commissions.

Curated by Hannah Presley and Annika Aitken, nightshifts looks to the shadows and ‘after hours’ as metaphors for the work and thinking that happens beneath the surface, away from the public gaze: time alone in the studio, during the quiet of the night and while asleep. Spanning a range of themes, histories and media, the exhibition offers a meditative counterpoint to the recurring emphasis on collaboration and hyper-visibility in contemporary curatorial practice.

Artists in this exhibition demonstrate the natural cycles and shifting conditions of working alone, from rumination to meditative, flow-like states and the periods of quiet and rest that necessarily follow. Solo human journeys and cosmic trajectories diverge and connect, and perspectives on Deep Listening demonstrate the power of singular focus to sharpen attention and reveal things unseen. The physical journey through the exhibition moves through subtle transitions in light, colour and sound, evoking the shift from dusk to dawn.

nightshifts provides new points of access to works in the University of Melbourne collections, including celebrated artists Shaun Gladwell, Tracey Moffatt, Callum Morton, Mike Parr, Mikala Dwyer, Teelah George, Marco Fusinato, Mabel Juli, Louise Weaver and Peter Booth. In addition, a number of commissions and loans have been selected to extend the exhibition themes.

Hannah Presley, Senior Curator, Museums and Collections said “Annika and I were keen to consider the Buxton and wider Melbourne University collections through a different lens. We began by examining the work of artists who have created their most enigmatic work through solo studio practice and extended this investigation to encompass artists exploring the creatively abundant qualities of time spent alone. It was important to us to embrace the potential for solitude to be a positive and productive mechanism of artistic practice.”

Also in the exhibition are some selected new works including:

• Canberra-based artist Lisa Sammut’s new large-scale kinetic sculptural and moving image installation that connects cosmic and human timescales through the orbit of Halley’s Comet coinciding with an average human lifespan.
• Gunditjmara and Keerray Woorroong artist Dr Vicki Couzens’ collaboration with Rob Bundle to present First Sound, First Light, an immersive soundscape drawing on the Indigenous concept of Deep Listening, utilising vocalisations, sounds and imagery from Country.

Annika Aitken, Curator, Museums and Collections said “We have worked with Lisa Sammut, Dr Vicki Couzens and Rob Bundle to present two exciting new commissions for nightshifts. These works create space for pause and contemplation within the exhibition, and are supported by a responsive design that moves through subtle transitions in light, colour, and sound—evoking the shift from dusk to dawn.”