‘Aeasi (as far as the eye can see above the sea)’ is a retrospective exhibition of works by Australian Solomon Islander (Feralimae/ Kosi) filmmaker Amie Batalibasi running from the 5th – 22nd of October at Blak Dot Gallery in Brunswick.
Batalibasi is an Australian Solomon Islander (Kosi/ Feralimae) writer, director and the 2017 Merata Mita Fellow through the Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Film Program.
Her creative practice is driven by a passion to collaborate with diverse people and communities at a grassroots level, to unearth stories that have the possibility to spark empowerment and create change.
Through photography, video art, documentary and narrative film, as well as 360 virtual reality video, the exhibition exists as an exploration of the Batalibasi’s relationship to the sea and storytelling, how the two are inextricably linked as the basis of an artistic practice
“There is no direct translation of the word ‘horizon’ in my language but ‘aeasi’, means: as far as the eye can see above the sea. I see the sea as a living body; a keeper of ancestral spirits and memories; the past and the future, a map for travel; and at the same time, something that remains an ominous threat to my Pacific community due to climate change.”
This exhibition is a collection of moments, connections, conversations, stories: images, sights, sounds and immersive experiences from the artist’s island home in the Solomon Islands; an interpretation of the artists’ journey through researching and developing the feature film BLACKBIRD- a narrative about Australia’s blackbirding history; a look at the past through various video works; and an exploration through the lens of the future – a glimpse beyond the point that is far as the eye can see above the sea.
“I grew up and reside here in Australia but as someone whose ancestry lies with the saltwater people of the Langalanga lagoon in the Solomon Islands, I can never deny the affect of the sea on my identity and my work.”
‘Aeasi (as far as the eye can see above the sea)’ presents audiences with multi-layered narratives and experiences linked by storytelling works past, present and future connected by the place at the end of the sea – aeasi.
The exhibition will be held at Blak Dot Gallery a contemporary Indigenous run gallery located in Brunswick, running from the 5th – 22nd of October.
EXHIBITION INFORMATION
DATES: 6 Oct – 22 Oct 2017
OPENING NIGHT: Thursday 5 October 6:30pm
ARTIST TALK: Sat 21 October, 2pm
WHERE: Blak Dot Gallery
OPENING HOURS:
Thur-Sat: 12pm-5pm
Sun:12pm-4pm
FACEBOOK EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/528022687542646/