The National 2019 - Art Gallery of NSW

For the artistically inclined Sydneysider, The National presents a chance to view works from emerging Australian artists. This year is the second staging of three biennial surveys, with many works reflecting the impacts of white colonialism presented by various artists of colour.

So far, I have only had the pleasure of viewing the portion of the exhibition being shown at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, however it is worth noting that the total of 70 artists involved in this years exhibition are also spread across Carriageworks and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Of the 24 artists exhibiting at the Art Gallery of NSW, many appear to be fascinated by the relationship between chaos and control. Rushdi Anwar, for example, has created a sculpture of charred chairs stacked precariously upon one another, calling to the artist's memories of a war-torn home and subverting the stereotypes of domestic space. The arrangement is a chaotic black mass that reeks of charcoal - a stark contrast to the white walls and polished floors of the gallery space it is being shown in.

Rushdi Anwar - 'Irhal (Expel), Hope and the Sorrow of Displacement' 2013-ongoing

Andrew Hazewinkel has created tens of replicas of traditional marble busts, positioned throughout various areas of the gallery on wiry black pedestals. Peering closer, we can see that each of these identical faces has been fragmented and sliced in a unique way, before the pieces are reattached in a surrealistic manner. The facade of marble is really just plaster, and even the stands used subvert the expectations of stereotypical grandeur associated with marble busts of important figures.

Andrew Hazewinkel - 'Part 1, The Emissaries: Keepers of Our Stories' from 'The Ongoing Remains', (3 parts) 2019

The works as a whole are wildly varied, including wall murals, photomanipulation, performance pieces, and what I can only describe as "process sculptures" that take form as the exhibition goes on. This free exhibition is a worthwhile visit (and perhaps multiples visits) for anyone wanting to experience new Australian art that entirely subverts expectations.