Pushing the boundaries of creativity

A new exhibition will open on Sunday February 4 at the Narrandera Arts and Community Centre.

Push the Medium is a collaboration between several artists from both Sydney and regional NSW and artist and curator Alex Wisser.

“It will be quite a contemporary exhibition, all the artworks are new,” said Western Riverina Arts Projects and Communications Officer Liana Magrath.

Wisser’s focus as a curator was to encourage the artists to experiment with their regular mediums – whether sculpture, painting or photography. He worked with the artists, supporting them to try new techniques and to explore different possibilities.

“It’s about pushing the artists outside of their comfort zones.

“Even the artists themselves will be interested to see what the others have come up with,” Magrath said.

According to Wisser, one of his key aims was to create more opportunities for collaboration and to expose regional artists to the kind of creative environments more common in urban areas.

“It is the kind of conversation that happens all the time in the city, where artists have a better access to experience other artists pushing boundaries and reconciling what art can be,” Wisser said.

“I am more interested in bringing this conversation to Narrandera, in opening its audience to new potentials in art, than I am in making an exhibition of what I consider to be successful art.”

Alongside the exhibition will be a workshop, facilitated by performance artist Alan Schacher.

“He’s a part of the exhibition as well,” said Magrath.

“Alan has a few ideas for the workshop, but it will depend on who’s there and other factors like the weather. He’ll adapt to his surroundings.”

Push the Medium opens on Sunday February 4. The workshop begins at 9am and will finish between 12 and 1pm. While entry is free, bookings are encouraged and can be made at www.westrivarts.com.au.

The exhibition will open afterwards at 2pm, and will remain open from 10am to 4pm until Sunday February 18. Entry is free.