● Sprung Ensemble, a collective of artists with disability, open their latest exhibition, Sprung News, at Lismore Regional Gallery.
● The exhibition spotlights the experiences of people with disability affected by climate disasters, emphasising the challenges of accessing news and emergency information during these crises.
● With irreverence at its heart, the work employs satire and absurdity to question media conventions and imagine a more inclusive and accessible news landscape.
● Sprung News is one of five exhibitions marking the gallery’s reopening, a significant milestone following the 2022 floods that impacted Lismore and the Northern Rivers region.
Exhibition: Sprung News
Location: Lismore Regional Gallery, 11 Rural St, Lismore NSW 2480
Exhibition Dates: 27 September - 17 November 2024
Opening Night: Friday 27 September 2024
As climate events become more frequent, people with disability and/or who are d/Deaf are often left out of critical discussions about emergency information. Sprung News, a new exhibition by Sprung Ensemble brings this issue to light, calling for better inclusion in how news and emergency updates are shared during crises.
Sprung Ensemble, a group of 10 artists with disability, are set to open Sprung News at Lismore Regional Gallery on Friday 27 September. The exhibition focuses on how people with disability experience climate disasters and the barriers they face when trying to
access vital information.
The Ensemble’s artist statement explains:
"In 2022, when we had the big floods, and when we had bushfires and Covid, we didn’t know what was going on or how to help. This is our work about the news and how it’s not for everyone."
Harnessing art as a tool for social change, 'Sprung News' includes portraiture, video art, podcast interviews, newspaper design, installation, and performance, all centering the experiences of people with disability and/or who are d/Deaf who have been directly impacted by climate disasters.
Through satire and humor, the exhibition highlights the flaws in how the media communicates during crises and suggests new ways to make news more accessible for everyone.
As Katie Cooper-Wares, Sprung Ensemble Artist Manager shares:
“The strength of the work lies in difference. From Tallula’s dream of an Auslan 24/7 News program, Max’s skill in presenting the news in gibberish to Bryn’s proposal that you could catch a spaceship to the planet where all news is sports news; the differing perspectives and ideas that each artist has contributed are equally valid. It is their unique experience. The artists spoke of not knowing how they could help after the flood. Sprung News and the light it shines on inaccessibility in times of disaster is the how.”
Highlighting the importance of inclusive information, the exhibition uses satire and playful interventions to question traditional media practices. In doing so, it offers a fresh perspective on communication and crisis response and calls on newsrooms, policy makers, and emergency services to rethink how information is shared during disasters, making sure it reaches everyone.
As the artists share:
"There’s too many words, and it’s hard to understand. We also think the news is boring, full of lies, and a bit bullshit," … "There’s not many people with disability on the news, and we want to know why and to change it."
In the aftermath of the 2022 floods, 'Sprung News' is one of five exhibitions celebrating the gallery’s reopening.
As Ashleigh Raph, Lismore Regional Gallery Director shares “The opening weekend will be pivotal in our recovery after the 2022 floods. We are galvanised by the excitement of our audience and colleagues in the region and across the country. We look forward to opening our doors as one of the longest-running cultural organisations in Northern NSW.”
She says, “Lismore Regional Gallery will continue to host major touring exhibitions and deliver an innovative and attentive self-generated program of exhibitions and events that stimulate and engage audiences locally and nationally. We are thrilled to open with Sprung News to reinforce our commitment to engaging our audience in learning and unlearning, building new narratives, and helping retain local memory through art in all its manifestations.”
The exhibition will run from Friday 27 September to Sunday 17 November 2024. To find out more about Sprung News and the other exhibitions opening visit https://lismoregallery.org/.
留言