NAVA Visual Arts Fellowship recipients to showcase work at Centre for Contemporary Photography
Image: Sonia Leber & David Chesworth, Geography Becomes Territory Becomes, 2018. 8-channel HD video installation, non-sync playback, 14 minutes.
Melbourne based duo, Sonia Leber and David Chesworth have capitalised on their $20,000 NAVA Visual Arts Fellowship by acquiring vital training in video colour-grading to develop an ambitious six-channel video work that will feature at the Centre for Contemporary Photography in Melbourne from 27 July.
The Visual Arts Fellowship funded by the Copyright Agency and administered by NAVA aims to assist exceptional mid-career Australia visual and media arts, craft and design practitioners to undertake a self directed program of professional development.
“The NAVA Visual Art Fellowship has been a great support for us throughout the year. It has enabled us to complete our multi-channel video installation 'Geography Becomes Territory Becomes’ and finalise the details of a survey show at Centre for Contemporary Photography with increased confidence,” says Leber and Chesworth.
The recipients of one of two 2017 Visual Arts Fellowships, Leber and Chesworth used the funding to improve the video colour grading, for their latest venture. As one of Australia's most lauded mid-career artistic duos, they have been collaborating since 1996 and are known for their distinctive installation artwork using video, sound, architecture and public participation.
“The Fellowship allowed us the time to develop skills and confidence in colour grading. This has become a really vital final part of making a video work, and will use this to great benefit all of our projects into the future. It is good to see that NAVA’s fellowship program has greatly expanded, so more artists can benefit from the increased support," Leber and Chesworth added.
Leber and Chesworth’s ‘Geography Becomes Territory Becomes’ will feature as part of their upcoming mid-career survey exhibition, ‘Architecture Makes Us’, at the Centre for Contemporary Photography in Melbourne from 27 July to 9 September 2018. Showcasing cinematic video works, the exhibition explores the way society is impacted by the geographical, technological and the architecture influences that surround us.
Esther Anatolitis, Executive Director of NAVA says, “Fellowships offer artists rare and valuable space to find focus. NAVA is thrilled to have helped support such a landmark and large scale new work that encourages courageous thinking and challenges us to examine the impact of past architecture on our world today.”
Two $20,000 Visual Arts Fellowships are open to individual mid-career artists and groups each year. Groups must have a demonstrated history of ongoing collaborative practice between applicants. Funding can be used toward a range of activities such as research, travel, skills development, residencies, mentorships, professional development and training, creation of new work and exhibition/ project costs.
Applications for this year’s fellowship will close on Sunday 19 August 2018.
Image: Sonia Leber & David Chesworth, Geography Becomes Territory Becomes, 2018. 8-channel HD video installation, non-sync playback, 14 minutes. Courtesy the artists. Filming, editing and sound design: Sonia Leber & David Chesworth. Colour grading: Peter Hatzipavlis. Commissioned by Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne. This project has been supported by an Australia Council residency at Helsinki International Artist Program and a NAVA Visual Arts Fellowship supported by Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.
