Coming Soon: A Seven-Screen Cinematic Installation Set To Transform AGNSW’s Oil Tank Gallery

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) has announced a major new commission by Australian artist Angelica Mesiti, known for her multi-channel performance, video and sound works.

The artist represented Australia at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019, and in September she will premiere a new seven-screen visual and sonic experience called The Rites of When.

It’ll take over the entire oil tank gallery, a space recently transformed for AGNSW’s Volume festival, headlined by Kim Gordon, André 3000, Genesis Owusu and Tkay Maidza.

The Rites of When will feature dance, new musical compositions and aerial drone footage as a reflection on the relationship between humans, nature and the cosmos. It’s the first solo presentation for the Sydney-born, Paris-based artist at the gallery, and AGNSW is producing a book to accompany the free exhibition.

“Mesiti’s video practice has long observed the intricacies of human behaviour, utilising choreography and performance with an increasing attention to the natural world,” said AGNSW director Michael Brand in a statement. “This work marks an important shift from the role of the artist as an observer to her role as a creator of alternative worlds. Mesiti’s interpretation of our globalised existence is a reminder that in times of permanent crisis, culture and community matter deeply.”

Angelica Mesiti: The Rites of When opens at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on September 21, 2024, and runs until May 11, 2025. Entry is free.

artgallery.nsw.gov.au