here’s something I’ve got
Material items can be coded with contextual or personal significance. Some evokes intimacy and linkage within familiar settings, whereas some can encapsulate scepticism towards traditions and perceived practices. Many would be imbued with a relentless seizure of the past. Objects then metamorphose into subjects, bearing public or private meanings to us.
here’s something I’ve got involves Treasured by Helen Newman, a commissioned series in collaboration with participants from local communities. It also encompasses existing works 33 Beads by Nasim Nasr, and Ema Datshi by Sonam Yangdon. While the flatness of lightbox surfaces inhibits materiality, the artists and contributors unleash the depth of objects with unique cultural and individual references.
Installation view of Treasured, by Helen Newman. Photo credit: Jeremy Weihrauch.
Treasured
Helen Newman
Treasured is a personal, evocative collection of images that explores the intimate relationship between individuals and the objects they hold dear. The series illuminates the role objects can play as vessels for memory, identity and cultural heritage.
In creating Treasured, I collaborated with ten individuals from Borneo, Venezuela, The Democratic Republic of Congo, China, India, Iran, Zimbabwe, Bhutan, and Kenya, all of whom now call Albury/Wodonga home. The centrepiece of each image is an object chosen by the participant that has a special significance to them. Whether a hand-woven basket or a gold cross, a beloved book or a brass bowl, each object is a tangible link and a precious touchstone for its owner.
Through this work I aim to create a dialogue about the significance of personal artifacts within our shared human journey. The stylised text overlaying each image is drawn from the participant’s stories and offer glimpses into the individual’s experiences and emotions. These narratives invite the viewer to reflect on both the unique history and surprising commonalities that may be held within their own treasured objects.
Gold, a symbol of value, endurance, and illumination, serves as a metaphor for the preciousness of each person's story and the irreplaceable worth of their experiences.
By honouring the power of objects to connect us to our past and anchor us in the present, “Treasured” weaves a tapestry of shared humanity and connection.
Installation view of 33 Beads, by Nasim Nasr. Photo credit: Jeremy Weihrauch.
33 Beads
Nasim Nasr
33 Beads engages with cultural experiences through the compulsive, predominantly male habit of handling traditional prayer and non-prayer beads (what the West refers to as “worry beads” and in the Middle East “tasbih”) in response to the fluctuating conditions of being worried or unworried about major life issues and concerns.
Social, political and intellectual forces that shape contemporary society are inevitably fraught with confusion and uncertainty. Questions are plentiful, answers are few. The photo series 33 Beads with its double and multiple female hands compulsively mould the beads, seeking to deny their cultural meaning, presenting the question whether to keep the male tradition or break it down.
The tension between the female hands and the worrybeads suggests an unspoken metaphor, to hold on to one’s past or to let it go, sensing the cyclical and infinite nature of the human condition.
Installation view of Ema Datshi, by Sonam Yangon. Photo credit: Jeremy Weihrauch.
Ema Datshi
Sonam Yangdon
Ema datshi is dedicated to the people of the community garden in Gateway Island. Ema datshi translates to ‘chilli and cheese’, and it is the national dish of Bhutan.
The community garden serves as a sanctuary for those struggling with loneliness and depression, fostering social bonds and personal growth. It is a place where they grow vegetables familiar to their culture in addition to helping each other secure jobs. Thus, the garden is not just a place to grow vegetables, but to heal and grow together.
It resonates with my journey to Australia, as my family was welcomed by the Bhutanese community garden in Thurgoona. There, my mother grew chillies, and the familiar taste of Ema Datshi offered a comforting slice of home, easing our homesickness. This made me realise that a vegetable and a little place can really heal your soul.
Sonam Yangdon (@brokebhutaneseartist) * Instagram photos and videos
Laneway Lightbox Open-Air Gallery is a public art initiative launched by AlburyCity, presenting lightbox installations along Amp Lane close to Albury’s cultural precinct. It is an ongoing program with rotation of artworks every four to six months. Each exhibition brings together creative and bold ideas. By stretching the limit of where and how art is consumed, it aims to open up meaningful conversations in a wider audience for social changes.
If you are interested in this project, please feel free to contact: culturalactivation@alburycity.nsw.gov.au
