In No Such Thing As Neutral Space, Sinead Kennedy questions how the dominant national narrative and self-image of ‘Australia’ is perpetuated through exclusionary practices. Thinking about indigenous histories, migrant experiences and erasure in relation to Australia or the idea of Australia, this project explores the incongruities that Australia holds and the practices that are resonant of its legacy of colonialism.
Using the ‘Big Banana’ (one of Australia’s many ‘big’ roadside attractions), hostile architecture/sound in public space and personal implication as prompts, and adopting humor and absurdity as counteractive tools, this work aims to challenge the mainstream notion of Australia.
The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 2020.
Me and Mum, Bonville Beach, Australia, 2020.
The Mongolian Octopus - His Grip on Australia, 2020.
Self Portrait, 2020.
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Sinead Kennedy is an Australian artist of Korean and Irish descent currently living on the Mid North Coast of Australia. She has a lens-based art practice which is driven by an interest in social issues and a curiosity about systems and power structures. Sinead Kennedy is interested in the construction of scenes and images as a mode of visual storytelling.
For the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Joop Swart Masterclass took place online over a period of four months, and 24 participants and eight masters were selected to make the program more inclusive. The educational experience of the Joop Swart Masterclass is based on an assignment to produce a photo essay around a given theme. This year the theme was ‘Reset’.
