11 February–22 March Zandra Rhodes A Life Long Love Affair with Textiles Fashion doyenne Zandra Rhodes’s designs are displayed in the first major retrospective in Australia. Rhodes began as a textile designer in the UK in the late ’60s and remains one of the most creative and influential artists in the fashion world today. Her flamboyant use of colour, form and elements from traditional costumes around the world has led to original clothing that is innovative and timeless. This exhibition charts Rhodes’s creative progress from the initial inspiration to the finished product. Fifty original garments and textiles are presented alongside her inspirational sketchbooks, hand-printed fabrics and paper patterns. Part of the 2008 L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program. Curated by Suzanne Davies and Sarah Morris. Public Program 4 March, Zandra Rhodes, RMIT University School of Art Forum.

10 April–17 May Come-in Interior Design as a Contemporary Art Medium in Germany Twenty-five young German artists explore what binds and separates us in our daily world. In a series of essays, rooms, installations and hybrid daily objects we see the landscape of urban density, fragility and luxury, media and marketing, fear and confinement, nostalgia and the departure from pure design and handcraft to the impact of mass production. The exhibition includes Australian artist Mikala Dwyer’s Empty Sculpture with Secret. Developed by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen and supported by the Goethe-Institut Australien. Curated by Renate Goldmann and Volker Albus. Artists Bettina Allamoda, John Bock, Björn Dahlem, Heide Deigert, Mikala Dwyer, Christina Doll, Stefan Eberstadt, Christian Flamm, Claus Föttinger, Dorothee Golz, Hans Hemmert, Eva Hertzsch & Adam Page, Stefan Kern, Andree Korpys & Markus Löffler, Isa Melsheimer, Tobias Rehberger, Peter Rösel, Daniel Roth, Silke Schatz, Gregor Schneider, Johannes Spehr, Jörg Wagner, Corinna Weidner & Erik Schmidt. Public Program 10 April, Renate Goldmann, curator talk.

6 June–28 June Black Robe, White Mist Art of the Japanese Buddhist Nun Rengetsu Otagaki Rengetsu (or Lotus Moon 1791–1875) was one of very few successful female artists of nineteenth century Japan. She was a poet and calligrapher, who also excelled in pottery and scroll-painting. Her tragic life inspired extraordinary creativity. Largely drawn from international private collections, Black Robe, White Mist shows contemplative works on paper and clay inscribed with Rengetsu’s elegant poetry and unpretentious calligraphy. Her work reflects the beauty of the imperfect and unconventional. This is the first exhibition outside Japan to focus solely on her art. Curated by Melanie Eastburn, Lucie Folan and Robyn Maxwell. A National Gallery of Australia exhibition. Public Program 6 June, Robyn Maxwell, curator talk; 12 June, Wabi Sabi, Japanese Aesthetics by Edie Young; 12 June, Junko Azukawa, Japanese calligraphy workshop.

6 June–28 June New Scientist Eureka Prize for Science Photography Presents twenty-four photographs from the 2007 prize, from polymers in a cochlear ear to cells dividing and jade icebergs in Antartica to a levitated drop of blood. These images remind us that science includes environmental issues, biodiversity, astronomy, information technology, engineering and health science. Curated by the Australian Museum and New Scientist magazine, the prize is awarded for the photograph that most effectively communicates an aspect of science. Photographers Jacqueline Andrew, Victor Anggono, Karen Donnelly, Megan Fabbro, John Goldsmith, Robert Griffith, Ralph Grimm, Sue Lindsay, Reg Morrison, Steven Morton, Stephen Nicol, Barnaby Norris, Tony Nott, Ron Oldfield, Judy Parrott, Phred Petersen, Tamara Russell, Peter Solness, Hamish Ta-Mé, Kirill Talanine, Rob Thompson, Carole Tilney, Mick Tsikas, Rodney Vella, Ian Waldie, Raimond De Weerdt. Public Program 6 June, Jacqueline Andrew, artist talk Dying to Hear and Phred Petersen, artist talk Mirrors and Microseconds: Watching the world you never see.

6 June–23 August RMIT GALLERY TOURING EXHIBITION Beyond Metal Contemporary Australian Jewellery & Holloware Presents twenty-seven artists whose works embrace raw and recycled materials, innovative design and technology. Presented by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade in association with the Victorian Government and RMIT University. Touring India, Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore (February—June 2007); Malaysia (September 2007); Singapore (November—December 2007); Hamilton (April 2008). Curated by Suzanne Davies, Carlier Makigawa, Beatrice Schlabowsky and Emeritus Professor Raymond Stebbins. Artists Helen Aitken-Kuhnen, Roseanne Bartley, Nicholas Bastin, Vito Bila, Julie Blyfield, Susan Cohn, Simon Cottrell, Juongmee Do, Mark Edgoose, Robert Foster, Stephen Gallagher, Rowena Gough, Marian Hosking, Daehoon Kang, Johannes Kuhnen, Elfrun Lach, Andrew Last, Simone LeAmon, Carlier Makigawa, Vicki Mason, Leslie Matthews, Karl Millard, Chris Mullins, Sean O’Connell, Vanessa Raimondo, Brenda Ridgewell, Beatrice Schlabowsky. Public Program 23 June, Nicholas Bastin, Mark Edgoose and Beatrice Schlabowsky, artist talks.

11 July–23 August envelop: kwodrent x farmwork Singaporean fashion designer Grace Tan started design studio kwodrent in 2003. Since then, she has developed a progressive series of clothing and objects based on the study of rectangles. A key aspect of Tan’s works is her inter-disciplinary approach, blurring the lines between fashion, fine art and architecture. For envelop, Tan invited Singapore architecture firm FARMWORK to interpret the Gallery space and respond to kwodrent; to envelop kwodrent within a new spatial experience just as kwodrent envelops the body in new ways. Above Tan’s intricate folded sculptural forms FARMWORK has created

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GALLERY INSTALLATION VIEWS Left: Zandra Rhodes: A Life Long Love Affair with Textiles, 2008. Right: Heat: Art and climate Change, 2008. Photos: Mark Ashkanasy. 1 ZANDRA RHODES Zandra Rhodes in Pagoda sleeved organza blouse Style 79/124 from the Chinese Collection, 1979. Photo: Robyn Beeche. 2 COME-IN Claus Föttinger, Hermann’s Döner Inn, 2000, RMIT Gallery installation view, Photo: Mark Ashkanasy. 3 BLACK ROBE, WHITE MIST Morimoto Kiyoko, Portrait of Rengetsu, hanging scroll [kakemono], 20th century, ink on paper; woodblock print, image: 36.2 x 29.2 cm. John Stevens collection. 4 EUREKA PRIZE FOR SCIENCE PHOTOGRAPHY Steven Morton, Levitated Drop of Blood, 2007 (detail). 5 BEYOND METAL Beatrice Schlabowsky, Semi Permeable Bowl, 2006, stainless steel, 120 x 160ø mm. Photo: Mark Ashkanasy. 6 ENVELOP: KWODRENT x FARMWORK Grace Tan, kwodrent series, n. 224, 2007. Photo: Darren Soh.

RMIT Gallery Exhibition Report 2008WWW.RMIT.EDU.AU/RMITGALLERY

a complex paper structure from geometric forms, lit from above with a stark white light. Part of the 2008 Melbourne State of Design Festival. Public Program 18 July, Grace Tan and Peter Sim, artist talk.

11 July–23 August Klaus Rinke Recent Drawings RHINE

• RUHR • LOIRE • DANUBE • PACIFIC CONNECTION • RE-AUSTRALIARover Thomas Joolama Selected Early Paintings Leading German artist Klaus Rinke visited the Australian desert in the late ’70s and drew strong parallels of land, spirit and place. This and subsequent visits led to his massive Australian Diary, a collection of 800 drawings. His profound experience was the recognition in Indigenous artwork of what he called abstract thinking; this was to give him a way out of the gap between European representation and its subject. Included in this exhibition are early works by Rover Thomas Joolama, an artist unknown to Rinke, whose work provides an opportunity to reflect on their resonances. Rinke returns to Australia with a series of site-specific large-scale drawings in charcoal and paint on canvas. Supported by the Goethe-Institut Australia. Curated by Suzanne Davies. Public Program 23 July, Klaus Rinke, RMIT University School of Art Forum; 24 July, Klaus Rinke, artist talk.

12 September–18 October Heat Art and Climate Change Presents the work of twenty-four Australian and International artists, and collaborators – a sensory experience of climate change through paintings, photography, soundscapes, installations and interactive media. Heat is the first international exhibition on this subject in Australia and explores issues of degradation, global warming, over-consumption, extinction and human impact on nature. Curated by Dr. Linda Williams, Suzanne Davies and Sarah Morris. In collaboration with the Art & Sustainability Research Cluster and RMIT University. Artists David Buckland & Max Eastley, Bonita Ely, Rew Hanks, Ash Keating & the 2020? Project, Janet Laurence, Sam Leach, Tony Lloyd, Anne Noble, Jill Orr, Simon Perry with Beau Emmett & Carmen Reid, Gregory Pryor, Georgina Read, Martin Rieser, Klaus Rinke, Cameron Robbins, Philip Samartzis & Michael Vorfeld, Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir & Mark Wilson, Roslyn Taplin, Ken Yonetani. Public Program 12 September, Ken Yonetani, artist talk; 18 September, Mark Wilson, artist talk; 19 September, Jill Orr, artist talk; 24 September, Mark Wilson, RMIT University School of Art Forum. Symposium 27 September, Cultures of Sustainability, keynote speaker Dr. Wendy Wheeler.

30 October–22 November Hannah Pang Dreams From Loom and Needle Hannah Pang designs beautiful fabrics working with artisans in traditional techniques such as Kesi, an ancient weaving craft that creates a silk tapestry with cut designs that resemble carved art work. Pang worked in Australia for many years before relocating to Suzhou in China, the home of Kesi, and is now creating collections using this and other techniques including Shibori, a folded dyeing technique, hand painting and embroidery. Curated by Sarah Morris and Hannah Pang Public Program 30 October, Hannah Pang, artist talk.

30 October–22 November Interaction Celebrates the tenth anniversary of collaborative arts education in Hong Kong between the Hong Kong Art School and RMIT University’s School of Art. The exhibition presents selected works from prominent Hong Kong staff and alumni who are recognised as significant emerging artists. The collaboration began at the time of Hong Kong’s hand-over from British colonial rule to its current status as a Special Administrative Region of China. The exhibition provides an opportunity to assess artistic developments during this period of rapid cultural and sociological change. Presented by the School of Art, RMIT University. Artists Au Ka Yiu – Gavin, Cheng Yee Man – Gum, Enoch Cheung, Rachel Cheung, Chung Po Yang, Alex Heung, Ho Siu Kee, Jaffa Lam, Jamsen Law, Carol Lee, Luk Tsing Yuen, Ivy Ma, Tam Wai Ping – Lukas, Tang Ying Chi – Stella, Tse Ming Chong, Fiona Wong, Francis Yu.

6 November–22 November Leah Heiss liminal Presents work at the threshold of art and science. Leah Heiss has spent the past ten months working with nanotechnologists to develop wearable works which address the emotional in therapeutic design. The outcome is a collection of jewellery scale artefacts and vessels which are both delicate yet compelling in their curative applications. The exhibition is in two parts: diabetes + arsenic. diabetes is a range of jewellery which allow insulin to be admini-stered through the skin, replacing syringes; arsenic encompasses a series of vessels which act to remove arsenic from water and are designed for people in transit areas where arsenic is prevalent in well water. Supported by Arts Victoria in association with the Australian Network for Art and Technology and Nanotechnology Victoria. Public Program 7 November, Leah Heiss, artist talk.

3–13 December Siemens–RMIT Fine Art Scholarship Awards Now in its eighth year, the prestigious Siemens – RMIT Fine Art Scholarship Awards enables students to further their careers in the field of Fine Arts by assisting with research and production costs. Eight students will receive scholarships, comprising five undergraduate travel scholarships and three postgraduate scholarships to a total of $32,000, as well as one artist receiving the $1000 Siemens Fine Arts Acquisition Award. An initiative of the School of Art, RMIT University.

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RMIT Gallery is Melbourne’s most vibrant public art and design gallery. We explore all aspects of visual culture, presenting changing exhibitions of Australian and inter-national design including fashion and architecture, fine art,

craft, new media and technology. RMIT Gallery presents regular floor talks, lectures and public events to coincide with exhibitions. The public program provides an enjoyable and social means of experiencing contemporary culture. RMIT Gallery welcomes school and community groups and can arrange introductory talks as required.

RMIT Gallery is housed in Storey Hall, an internationally celebrated example of archi-tectural innovation. Located in Swanston Street, near the intersection with La Trobe Streets, RMIT Gallery is diagonally opposite Melbourne Central Railway Station and can be reached by trams travelling on Swanston and La Trobe Streets, including the City Circle Tram. Limited street parking is available. Melways reference: 2F E1.

RMIT GALLERYwww.rmit.edu.au/rmitgallery 344 Swanston Street Melbourne Australia 3000 GPO Box 2476V Melbourne 3001 Telephone: + 61 3 9925 1717 Facsimile: + 61 3 9925 1738 Email: rmit.gallery@rmit.edu.au

GALLERY HOURSMonday–Friday 11–5 Saturday 2–5 Closed Sundays and public holidaysFree admission. Lift access available.

LEFT: RMIT GALLERY FACADE. PHOTO: TIM GRIFFITH

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7, 8 KLAUS RINKE: RECENT DRAWINGS Klaus Rinke. Photo: Anne-Marie Sarosdy. Klaus Rinke, left: DER TÜMPEL WO ALLES ANFING (THE POND WHERE EVERYTHING BEGAN), 2008, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 370 x 280 cm. Right: DIE HINTERBLIEBENEN (SURVIVING DEPENDENTS), 2008, charcoal and acrylic on canvas, 370 x 470 cm. Photo: Mark Ashkanasy. 9, 10 HEAT Jill Orr, Southern Cross – to bear and behold 2007/8, photograph, 94 x 160 cm. Photo: Naomi Herzog for Jill Orr. Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir & Mark Wilson, Polar Shift (detail), 2008, taxidermy polar bears, blackboard, digital videos, dimensions variable. Photo: Mark Ashkanasy. 11 HANNAH PANG Hannah Pang, Kesi Chinese Wedding Dress, (detail) 2008, silk. Photo: Mark Ashkanasy. 12 INTERACTION Alex Heung, When Wind, Forest, Mountain, Fire meet the Hare and the Tortoise (detail), 2006, acrylic on canvas, 182.8 x 122 cm. 13 LIMINAL Leah Heiss, Insulin Patch Applicator Neck-piece, 2007–08. Photo: Narelle Sheean. 14 SIEMENS-RMIT FINE ART SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS Sam Leach, Insect loves LED, 2007 (detail), oil & resin on linen, 28 x 28 cm. Photo: Mark Ashkanasy.

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