February, 2020
BLINDSIDE Gallery in partnership with the National Trust invited me to participate in their inaugural Mooramong Residency program. Situated on Wathaurong country almost 3 hours west of Narrm Melbourne, I joined artists Anna May Kirk and Manisha Anjali to engage in research, creativity and learn about the site, with the potential to respond creatively. Here's a little sample from the residency project; I'll shout out when the forthcoming public panel at BLINDSIDE is happening, that will reflect on the residency as well as the development of the #arentwerich photo series.
2015
Sunday 15th March, 2020
Join me for a free panel discussion as part of the Melbourne Art Book Fair 2020 at NGV International, Melbourne. I'll be discussing my approach to archives, in particular from my residencies in South Africa and their use in my practice, as well as my rejection of them as a strategy of reclamation. Chaired by Channon Goodwin (Bus Projects) I'll be speaking alongside Melissa McGrath,
David Mutch and Paul Andrew.
May, 2020
I'm sure we can all agree 2020 and COVID-19 has brought concerning circumstances that has affected us all in varying ways. I hope wherever you may be reading this from, you and your loved ones are safe and keeping well. If you're in a position to donate to communities that may not have access to safety, support, food and living essentials, there is a First Nations Mutual Aid Fund based in Victoria, Australia accepting donations online, and an extensive list of organisations in South Africa, province specific and nationwide, detailing the organisation, relief offered, support needed and their contact details (please note +27 country code for phone numbers). There is also an online fund (I think Johannesburg based) that specifically supports LGBTQI+ community in South Africa here.
I kept news of an award I received early 2020 pretty quiet that would enable me the opportunity of a studio residence for 3 months at the Cemeti Institute for Art and Society in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
I have postponed this journey and continue to work in Narrm (Melbourne) and have revisited older projects and conjuring new ideas.
Coloured™ wearable art is back in stock :-) A second edition Narrm print run of the 'rainbow split fountain' on white tee/sweater is available as well as the gold on black series.
If keen to order DM me; cheap contact-less courier service is available too.
Other projects are in the works, but for now here is a pic of me wearing Coloured™
Monday 15th - Friday 26th June, 2020
FBi Radio Digital Art Auction, FBi Radio, Sydney, Australia.
Join FBi Radio ~ online ~ for the FBi Radio Digital Art Auction
Monday 10am 15 June to 7pm Friday 26 June
https://fbiradio.com/event/art-auction-2020/
Featuring over 70 of Australia's most exciting established artists and next big things including:
Abdul Abdullah, Abdullah M.I. Syed, Alex Seton, Alice Couttoupes, Amala Groom, Anna Pogossova, Barbara Cleveland, Belem Lett, Blak Douglas, Chris Yee, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, David Griggs, Dean Cross, Deborah Kelly, Dennis Golding , Elena Papanikolakis, Eliza Gosse, Emily Hunt, Emily Parsons-Lord, Esther Olsson, Evi O, Garry Trinh, Genevieve Felix Reynolds, Glenn Barkley, Grace Blake, Hyun Lee, India Mark, Izabela Pluta , Jack Lanagan Dunbar, Jamie North, Janet Laurence, Jason Phu, Joan Ross, John A Douglas, Justene Williams, Kalanjay Dhir, Ken Done, Kenny Pittock, Khaled Sabsabi, Koji Ryui, Kuba Dorabialski, Lindy Lee, Lisa Sammut, Lynda Draper, Marian Tubbs, Marikit Santiago, Martyn Hodge, Mason Kimber, Megan Cope, Meng-Yu Yan, Mike Parr, Nadia Odlum, Nathan Beard, Nick Santoro, Owen Leong, Phil James, Prue Stent and Honey Long, Reg Mombassa, Roberta Rich, Sabella D'Souza, Sarah Contos, Shivanjani Lal, Sidney McMahon, Sofiyah Ruqayah, Stevie Fieldsend, Tané Andrews, Tina Havelock Stevens, Tom Blake, Tom Polo, Tony Albert, TV Moore, Vipoo Srivilasa and Zoe Wong.
Monday 22nd June, 2020
Copies Can Lead, Liminal Magazine and FBi Radio Digital Art Auction, FBi Radio
For the last couple of months, I have been collaborating with writer Ava Amedi towards Liminal Magazine's current series of digital writing and art themed glitch. New collage works, Arrest No. 1,
No. 2 and No. 3 (Arrest Triptych), 2020, as part of the essay Copies Can Lead is now online!
Detail from Arrest No. 3, 2020.
...and the FBi Radio Digital Art Auction bidding continues until this Friday 7pm, and to celebrate FBi Radio are throwing a live-streamed party called FINAL COUNTDOWN; programmed by audience recommendations and will be counting down the final 60 minutes of bidding from 6-7pm on Twitch. If you'd like to request a song you can head to fbiradio.com/artauction.
There are amazing artists and works in this years auction and I felt honoured and gushy to be
selected by artist and curator Talia Smith in her top picks for 10 Magazine!
Friday 21st August - 30th August, 2020.
Momentum, West Projections Festival.
Join in the opening West Projections Festival 2020 with a free live online forum, “between the work” featuring this year’s commissioned artists.
Date: 21st August 2020
Time: 4pm - 5pm
This year, West Projections Festival invites Paola Balla, Jonathan Homsey, Roberta Joy Rich, Jody Haines, Alison Bennett, Siying Zhou, Jess Dubblu and Shae Rooke, and Victoria University Polytechnic students to present new work in conjunction with a retrospective work, to explore our theme of Momentum.
"Momentum as the theme for West Projections Festival 2020 arose from reflecting on the festival’s development over its seven year history—on the artists and artworks we have presented over this time. We look back at what we have created, learned, sensed and produced in previous years, to conceptualise a space that best holds what we see changing around us. By working retrospectively, we hope to generate momentum towards potential futures."
Friday 28th August - 1 November, 2020
Incinerator Art Award : Art for Social Change, Incinerator Gallery,
Wurundjeri lands, (Aberfeldie, Victoria, Australia).
The Incinerator Art Award online exhibition will be launching with a live stream of the awards ceremony on Friday, 28 August at 6pm. The Awards will be presented by judges Andy Butler (Program Curator Westspace. Artist, writer and curator)., Esther Anatolitis (Deputy Chair, Contemporary Arts Precincts; Honorary Associate Professor, RMIT School of Art) and Hannah Presley (Curator of Indigenous Art, National Gallery of Victoria).
The Incinerator Art Award 2020 shortlisted finalists are: @covid19quilt Project, led by Kate Just and Tal Fitzpatrick, Amala Groom, Azza Zein, The Bureau for the Organisation of Origins (BOO), Carly Fischer, Chelle Destefano, Cyrus Tang, Desmond Mah, Devi Seetharam, Elham Eshraghian, Georgia Banks, Hineani Tunoa Roberts, Jayanto Tan, Karla Pringle, MJ Flamiano, Nicholas Burridge, Nina Sanadze, Roberta Joy Rich, Sally Foster, Sha Sarwari, Shivanjani Lal, Varuni Kanagasundaram.
A massive congratulations to winners Cyrus Tang and Sha Sarwari! Look out for their exhibitions at the Incinerator Gallery next year. The exhibition is now viewable online, plus Artist and Curator Symposium Talks (I feature in the Identity and Community Panel), and you can vote for your favourite artwork for the People's Choice Award.
Wednesday 7th October 5pm - 6pm, 2020
Who’s Afraid of Public Space? Think Tank #2 – Collaboration and Community,
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Wurundjeri lands (Melbourne, Australia).
A lively digital discussion, Think Tank #2 will engage with ideas of collaboration, collectivity, community engaged practice and the commons, as part of the Think Tank series as part of ACCA’s forthcoming exhibition Who’s Afraid of Public Space?
Presented in partnership with Footscray Community Arts (FCA), and moderated by FCA Artistic Director and Co-CEO Daniel Santangeli, the panel will include contributors Eugenia Flynn, Kent Morris, Roberta Joy Rich and Kate Sulan. Developed with an assembly of advisors and collaborators, Who’s Afraid of Public Space? is a research, publication and exhibition project which ACCA is developing over 2020–22. ACCA has partnered with Abbotsford Convent, Arts Project Australia, Blak Dot, Bus Projects and FCA to present a dispersed program of exhibitions and projects that consider critical ideas as to what constitutes public culture and to ask who might it be for?
You can listen back to the online forum via Soundcloud here.
Tuesday 15th December, 2020
How artists turned to the postal service,
Art Guide, Issue 128.
Article written by Nanette Orly, featuring works by Jessica Clarke, Anna John, Phuong Ngo,
Roberta Joy Rich and EJ Son.
© Copyright Roberta Joy Rich 2024. All images by and courtesy of the artist unless otherwise credited.