30 emerging artists from Australia have reimagined seven of history’s most iconic artistic commissions – from Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait with Monkeys and Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty.
To mark the launch of First Commissions, five Australian artists who received arguably the most iconic commission, the inspiration for Michelangelo’s David, have had their works exhibited in Florence.
First Commissions is a global project that brings together more than 100 emerging artists across three sites on two continents to present these 30 unique responses.
The First Commissions project asks artists to reinterpret world-changing historical commissions for the present moment – from the Titanic to Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty. There are 7 commissions split among the artists and each commission was inspired by themes found in some of the world’s most iconic works. At the time of receiving the commission, the artists had no knowledge of its origin. For 29 of these emerging artists, this was their first commission. The 30th artist in this exhibition is established contemporary artist and university alumna, Esther Stewart. Her inclusion in the project highlights the evolution of an artistic career.
Five of these artists received arguably the most iconic commission, the inspiration for Michelangelo’s Statue of David (1501), a vision of human perfection carved from a mammoth slab of marble. Through each of their five disciplines, Esther Stewart, Aboriginal Australian visual artist Ashley Perry choreographer and dancer Jack Riley, interactive composer Samuel Kreusler and classical composer Danna Yun, explore the nature of human perfection in contemporary society.
A juxtaposition of old and new, the exhibition highlights the importance of global institutions of academic excellence such as the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze; Accademia Di Belle Arti Di Firenze and the University of Melbourne to creatively challenge boundaries and create thought-provoking experiences that move others. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and data, the University of Melbourne argues for the power of the artistic mind and the importance of a fine arts and music education to propel society forward.
The University of Melbourne has been given the rare opportunity to launch the project at the statue of David in Florence. Following the launch, the students have exhibited their work at the Florence Academy of Fine Art.
Once the Florence launch is complete, the First Commissions exhibition will be on display in Melbourne, taking place over Open House weekend (27-28 July) in the Martyn Myer Arena on the University of Melbourne Southbank campus. Curated by Sabrina Baker, the exhibition will include 30 works responding to the 7 commissions and involve over 100 emerging artists and students working across film, dance, theatre, music, music theatre, visual art and design & production.
The entire First Commissions series reimagines original commissions for David, the Titanic, Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Bob Dylan’s Hurricane, Camille Claudel’s Age of Maturity, Frida Kahlo’s Self-portrait with Monkeys and Susan Hewitt & Penelope Lee’s The Great Petition. To explore the University of Melbourne’s First Commissions exhibition in full, visit the online gallery here or via: www.firstcommissions.com.au
