Geraldton Regional Art Gallery exhibition opening night explores dance, culture and human desire

Two art exhibitions — one celebrating the freedom and joy of dance and its connections to country for First Nations people and the other showcasing sex and desire in Australia’s Top End — were launched at Geraldton Regional Art Gallery last week. The opening night on Friday, February 23 saw a crowd of more than 50 embark on a powerful journey across the room as they explored exhibitions, Dancer and Some Like it Hot. Geraldton Mayor Jerry Clune addressed the crowd and announced the winner of the Mid West Art Prize for people’s choice, Willow McAuliffe, for her artwork This Is Not A Love Story. The exhibition, Dancer, is a vital expression of culture and storytelling, and for First Nations people it is part of an ongoing connection to, and responsibility for, country. Some Like It Hot intersects sweat, sex, desire and discord in Darwin, Australia’s hottest and most remote capital city. Northern Territory-based artists Therese Ritchie and Franck Gohier combines wit and humour with astute social observation, putting human behaviour under a philosophical microscope. Works in the Dancer exhibition express this connection and showcases Australia’s premier First Nations dance company, established in 1989 at Bangarra Dance Theatre. Other histories are reflected, including 20th century European performers and classical and contemporary ballets. Through more than 50 works, the exhibition shows how dance unites across shared experiences, cultural knowledge and teaching and features dancers Irina Baronova, Robert Helpmann, Hélène Kirsova, Graeme Murphy, Gideon Obarzanek, Anna Pavlova, Marilyn Rowe and Janet Vernon. National Portrait Gallery curator Dr Emma Kindred said the joy of dance and movement is a shared experience that transcends cultures and generations. “Much like portraiture, dance is an artform that has the power to connect, teach and tell diverse stories. I am excited that audiences across the country will have the opportunity to explore this exhibition,” she said. The exhibition is on display at the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery until Thursday, April 14.