Octopus 17: Forever Transformed

Overview

Celebrating the launch of the new Preston-based Gertrude Contemporary following the gallery's move after 32-years in Fitzroy, Forever Transformed represents the 17th edition of the gallery's flagship annual Octopus exhibition. Curated by artist and writer Georgie Meagher, as uncertainty and disruption grows in many people's lives, Forever Transformed delves into the concept of 'resilience' and what it means to adapt or change to survive, and whether bouncing back is always a good thing.

Meagher has brought together artists such as Tony Albert, Rushdi Anwar, Sophie Cassar, Tabita Rezaire and Liz Linden to explore these ideas, with each artist providing their own interpretation of resilience and exploring alternative ideas such as perseverance, subversion and optimism. Each year the Octopus program invites a guest curator to explore new forms of curatorial practice, providing an exciting opportunity to see what's happening at the cusp of art thought today.

Octopus 17: Forever Transformed takes place at the new Gertrude Contemporary in Preston from Friday, July 28 until Saturday, September 9.

Image: Optimism #2 (2008), Tony Albert.