LEVEL 2, GALLERY 22
NEW ZEALAND, BORN 1973
LIVES AND WORKS IN SYDNEY
PROJECT
Narcissus 2019 reimagines the ancient Greco-Roman myth of Narcissus, in which a beautiful young man falls in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water. Tiatia references sources such as the 1597–99 canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and Mat Collishaw’s Narcissus 1990, a self-portrait. Narcissus 2019 carries this enduring narrative into contemporary times, reflecting on global selfie culture fuelled through social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook etc, which are saturated with images of the self. The cast of 40 Narcissi occupy a single platform in various acts of self-worship, ritual, joy, love, lust, complacency, despair and disregard in a single moment of shared time. Here, vulnerabilities, frustrations, flaws and strengths are shown as a collective effect, where various acts and emotions highlight and amplify uncertain and challenging times ahead.
ABOUT
Angela Tiatia is an artist who explores contemporary culture, drawing attention to its relationship to representation, gender, neo-colonialism and the commodification of the body and place, often through the lenses of history and popular culture. Tiatia has exhibited both nationally and internationally, including USA, Germany, South America and New Zealand. In 2012 Tiatia was awarded a commission for an installation as part of the Home AKL exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. In 2017, Tiatia was awarded the Paramor Art Prize at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Sydney and was an artist in residence at the National Museum of Singapore, Singapore. In 2018, the artist was the winner of the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Award, Australia.
The NGV warmly thanks Triennial Lead Supporter Gordon Moffatt AM, Triennial Supporters Cameron Oxley & Bronwyn Ross, Dr Brett Archer, Nicholas Perkins & Paul Banks and Triennial Circle donor Scanlon Foundation for their support of the furniture.
The NGV warmly thanks Triennial Major Supporter Trawalla Foundation for their support.