Conflicted: Adversaries in Art

Overview

As Australia reflects on the Gallipoli centenary and considers the countless global conflicts that have sprung up in the hundred years since, a free exhibition at the Hawthorn Arts Centre examines the relationship between art and warfare head on.

With works across a range of different media including sculpture, photography, print, painting, video and installation, Conflicted: Adversaries in Art explores humankind's propensity for violence; with a particular focus on young people caught up in the cycle of conflict. A number of pieces in the show touch on the idea of childhood and loss of innocence, from Michael Peck’s beautiful oil paintings of a young boy wielding a bow and arrow, to photographs by Siri Hayes of her son making weapons in their backyard.

Conflict: Adversaries in Art runs until May 31 at the Town Hall Gallery inside the Hawthorn Arts Centre. There'll also be a series of talks with the artists in the show, in which they’ll delve further into their artwork and ideas.

For more information, visit the Town Hall Gallery website.

Image: Michael Peck