Invisible Winds (2023)
May 2023
Climarte, Richmond, Victoria
Co-curated by Tammy Wong Hulbert, Pia Johnson,
Marnie Badham and Madi Sherburn

Without knowing it, I was being carried by the wind. Drifting here and there,
I did not know whether I rode on the wind or the wind rode on me.

Lieh Tzu

Depictions of wind often symbolise the chaotic, raw and brutal powers of nature. Created through the opposing forces of cold and warm air, winds can create severe and widespread destruction – moving oceans, eroding landscapes, toppling the built environment, and displacing communities. From desert storms and tornadoes to typhoons and hurricanes, winds typically instil fear. Yet as a productive force, wind has the energy and power we need to sustain our living needs. A cool breeze on a summer day is welcome and the sounds carried by whispering winds have been known to cast spells. Wind can also instil awe and wonder, connecting us to spirituality, folklore, history, and the changing of the seasons.

In exploring the many different moods of the wind, Invisible Winds features a range of artistic mediums in dialogue (photography, painting, sound, film, installation, and performance) employed by artists who depict, harness, and collaborate with the creative forces of wind.

Participating artists:
Vicki Couzens, Gretel Taylor and Gülsen Özer, Kent Morris, Pia Johnson, Philip Samartzis, Polly Stanton and Byron Dean, Christiaan De Beukelaer and Marnie Badham in collaboration with Tammy Wong Hulbert, Ai Yamamoto and George Akl. Curated by Marnie Badham, Pia Johnson and Tammy Wong Hulbert with curatorial intern Madeleine Sherburn from RMIT University.

Invisible Winds is a CLIMARTE commission with assistance by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body, and the City of Yarra. With additional support from RMIT, this exhibition also serves as a Contemporary Art and Social Transformation (CAST) Migration, Mobility and Art project.

Image: Pia Johnson, ‘The Weight of Fallen Trees #2’, 2021, Archival inkjet print.