Unguided Tours

Overview

Illustrator Dave McKean was a slow convert to digital. Putting together strange montage and box-art collages for comics, it took a long time before he fired up a computer to check out this Photoshop business. Once he did though, a brief period of fractal-laden cover-art gave way to artwork every bit as good as his period pre-mouse. The Art Gallery of New South Wales made the same transition long ago, and its new show Unguided Tours wants to take you to a strictly computer-generated place. The exhibition showcases digital art, with artists from Australia and beyond filling the Gallery’s halls with manipulated pixels and sculpture. Run once every two years, Unguided Tours is an incarnation of the Anne Landa Award bringing together local and overseas work, the best piece being bought up for $25,000.

None of the artists will take your hand, but all of them are taking you somewhere. Arlo Mountford helps you either leave or arrive at a classical island, Ian Burns mixes tech-junk and social comment, David Haines offers a game-like, hands on experience,  Charlie Sofo explores the minutiae of city life, and Jae Hoon Lee combines travel photos into vertical landscapes.