OK Democracy, We Need to Talk

Overview

OK Democracy, We Need to Talk is Campbelltown Art Centre's response to the recent election. The exhibition brings together 12 newly commissioned works by local artists, who posed interventions on ideas of democracy and were encouraged to talk to journalists on how tokens of the free world can be presented to its inhabitants. 

The pieces include a series of works by Deborah Kelly that both pay homage to John Lennon and Yoko Ono and make statements on Australia's environmental politics, and Lara Thoms' video portrait of Harper Nielsen, the nine-year-old that caused a stir among politicians when she refused to stand for the national anthem at her school in 2018. Western Sydney's own Abdullah MI Syed has even created a series of garments out of real bank notes.

In addition to the exhibition, the gallery will host a free day-long symposium on July 27. Developed by UNSW Art and Design lecturer Simon Hunt — perhaps better known for his 1990s satirical character Pauline Pantsdown — the day will include panels, workshops and performances that further explore topics from the exhibition.