In Memory of Barbara Halnan [1941-2021]

 

"Opening of Confluence 3" 2016 at The Shop Gallery, Sydney. Photo: W.Seeto 

Barbara Halnan described herself as an artist, painter, and installation artist; and her interests as art, music and reading. She was all that and much more and for many she was also a friend and colleague.

She played an important role in Articulate's decade as an artist-run space and was there as participant, volunteer and exhibitor and a place she regularly visited for exhibitions and openings by friends and fellow artists. Barbara was an essential part of the Articulate community, along with her colleague and partner Rose McGreevy [1945-2014]. 

"Articulate Turns 7" 2017 at Articulate Project Space, Sydney. Photo: W.Seeto

As an artist Barbara was knowledgeable, unpretentious, friendly, self-sufficient, reliable and hard-working. She went about her business with determination and when she set her mind on something she needed no prompts to achieve it. 

Barbara made an impression on everyone who met her and she will be sadly missed by those associated with Articulate. 

In 2022, Articulate will hold a survey exhibition of Barbara's work to celebrate her memory and her part in Articulate's history, as well as her place in Australian art that is reflected by her work. It will be held concurrently with an exhibition in Paris by her colleagues there and it will be live-streamed to coincide with the exhibition in Sydney. 

"Ferret 4" 2018 at Articulate Project Space, Sydney. Photo: W.Seeto

The exhibition is being organised by William Seeto, a friend and colleague of Barbara's. He is interested in locating artworks by Barbara in the possession of others and would appreciate your assistance if you have any. If you can help, he can be reached here via email.

Artist Talks Online: Alan Schacher, Alison Clouston & Boyd, Tom Isaacs. 6:30pm Monday 23 Aug.

 

The Documenting Articulate 2010-2020: Performance show, per.doc, is one of four planned Decade shows where artists revisit work presented at Articulate over the last 10 years. In this instance, we spotlight performances that previously inhabited the space and evoke them for a second time. As is with the ephemeral nature of performances, their evocation relies on documentation. This presentation of performance work considers the myriad of approaches and mediums we can harness to translate a particular moment in time and space. 

Per.doc was due to run through August however, due to the Sydney lockdown, the show will likely be postponed to early 2022. For now, Articulate will host a series of online talks by some of the presenting artists, and share a preliminary version of the show's catalogue.

In his introductory essay for the catalogue, Alan Schacher poses a variety of questions the artists are invited to imagine and reflect upon in relation to their work, old and new. One line of inquiry considers the temporary interaction that occurs between the performing body and its spatial context. This can be thought of as a two-way relationship: the way architecture and place inherently imposes itself on the body, and also how the performer actively responds to, interprets, borrows from, and gives back to the space. As a show operating through the lens of documentation, another inquiry looks at our unique positions on translating work. Per.doc is a diverse demonstration of documentation with some artists opting to reintroduce select artefacts and tools loaded by their performance, others reviving soundscapes and sensorial environments, or evoking an experience of the performative event through stills and video, and yet others looking to a body-centric mode of documentation borne by the performer, participants, and witnesses.

The first per.doc Artist Talks, inviting Alison Clouston & Boyd, Tom Isaacs, and Alan Schacher, will be held at 6.30-7.30pm Monday 23rd August.

On the evening, access the live Zoom session here, or use Zoom meeting ID 823 7907 7571, and Passcode 431565. We look forward to seeing you there.