Nicola Knackstredt, Saskia den Brinker, Jonathon Zalakos & Cathy Zhang

Gallery 3 M16 Artspace

Friday 14 April – Sunday 7 May

Opening Thursday 13 April 2023, 6pm - 8pm

We assert our individual identities when in conversation, but what we say and do emerge in a context influenced by other people. Unexpected revelations and opportunities for wit can be carried on to later interactions, leaving durable alterations to who we become. In this way, we can see identity and expression in art as a composite of what the artist has chosen to adopt, or reject, from others. Dialogue is a physical record of two conversations between friends in a shared language of metal, made up of Projects A and B.

Project A begins with four artists expressing themselves in jewellery without the influence of each other’s thoughts. This initial piece is passed to the next artist, who takes inspiration to inform a whole new artwork. This second artwork is then passed to the third artist, who creates a new object in response to the second artwork. The third artwork is then passed on to the fourth artist, who again creates an inspired final work. These objects are presented in sequence to highlight the salient tangents and ‘talking points’ that appear along the way.

Project B is not about inspiration, but about alteration. Each artist makes one unique piece, again expressing themselves in isolation. This piece is then passed from one artist’s hands to another’s in sequence, every person adding a statement, question or rebuttal in material form. The viewer is invited to trace the fingerprints of each maker and to reflect on each object's journey toward transformation and complexity.

Regardless of the apparent conclusions to the dialogue, the joy of the format and all it entails (discovery, collaboration, self-expression and inspiration) become distilled in the exhibition.