from the edge

from the edge is an exhibition of work by young and emerging artists from Australia Asia and the Pacific. It explores notions of indigeneity, identity and belonging, by marginalised, or which otherwise exist on the fringes of the mainstream.
The exhibition takes a broad view of the idea of regionalism to explore the complexity of Australia's Asia-Pacific locale. It raises questions around the idea of regional identity, but also opens a forum for cross-cultural dialogues, reflecting on the universality of certain types of experiences despite their culturally specific expressions.
The exhibition reflects on variety of personalised issues that shape and inform themes of cultural displacement and Diaspora identity, poverty, disability, gender and sexuality - all issues and experiences which critically define a sense of belonging. But as the works in this exhibition suggest, regional and cultural identity is not fixed, but always in a mercuric state.
Examples include the photographic work of Emiliy Mafile'o, who draws on her mixed or 'half kasi' Tongan and Palangi/European heritage, producing sharply observed, but cheaply reproduced photographic images depicting her Tongan and Pacific youth peers. Queensland artist, Tony Albert humorously critiques the exploitation of Aboriginality as a form of Australian identity for the purposes of cultural tourism and mass marketing of a multicultural Australia and, forcing the viewer to question all too familiar stereotypes that inform perceptions of Aboriginality.
But despite the critical edge of many of the works, from the edge also reflects on the power of art as a means to build or strengthen a sense of identity and belonging. Sarai, a new media initiative, based in Delhi, India for example, with their Cybermohalla project, aim to create a cyber-neighbourhood in Hindi for young people living in slum settlements providing an opportunity to gain technical skills and computer literacy at the same time as providing a forum for reflective and creative dialogue.

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