Art and science collide in Lorne’s ‘Unconnected Yet’ exhibition

Lorne Community Connect will host an international art exhibition this month that celebrates the intersection of art and science with works featuring artists from 11 countries.

The exhibition, titled Unconnected Yet, will run from December 15 – January 7, marking its first showing in Australia.

Curated by Lorne Community Connect artist-in-residency participants Meaghan Shelton and Natasha Narain, with the support of the exhibition’s original creators, Todd Bartel and Ujjal Sarkar, the exhibition explores the seemingly unconnected junction between things.

Artists were invited to contribute work to the exhibition that imagined the world they wanted to live in as it could be, and chose to tackle a wide variety of topics, including climate change, off-world habitation, connection, racism and communication.

“We’re absolutely delighted and really honoured to have the chance to bring this show to Lorne,” Ms Shelton said.

“Unconnected Yet assembles the collage-based work of 74 artists from 11 countries and bridges the art and science communities of Boston, Kolkata and Lorne, bringing art from near and far to Lorne Community Connect.”

 

Mr Bartel, a secondary school educator from Boston, said the exhibition’s name was inspired by “the creative leap of mind and the idea of synapse”.

“The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that a bridging between two neurons or nerve cells is called a synapse.

“But the namesake is also emblematic of a series of planned events and future projects not yet imagined. In this spirit, Unconnected Yet is a catalyst for things yet to be realised.”

It was Bartel that chose collage-based works as the focus for the exhibition.

“I chose the medium of collage for its democratic, inclusive, ever-expansive and transformative potential,” he said.

“Collage is the quintessential spark-maker because pairing any two things – related or unrelated – invariably ignites new connections and ideas.”

For Ms Shelton, bringing Unconnected Yet to Lorne provides a way to give back to both Lorne Community Connect and the local community.

“In light of what’s happening globally – it’s a very scary scenario politically at the moment – but to be reminded that there’s so many people out there that just want to connect and believe in the greater good…for me personally, has given me a way to try to navigate all of this negativity,” she said.

“It’s a really important exhibition. I think a lot of people are going to feel inspired and warmed by it.”

Lorne Community Connect is located at 2 Otway Street, Lorne.