Venice Biennale: Reko Rennie
blackartprojects announces Australian artist Reko Rennie’s participation in Personal Structures: Time, Place, Existence, a collateral event of the 56th Venice Biennale opening on Saturday 9 May 2015.
The exhibition, as curated by the Global Art Affairs Foundation, gathers emerging and established artists from across the world whose work relates to the concepts of time, space and existence. Among these works are Rennie’s Regalia, which will be presented at the entrance of Palazzo Mora, an ancient building situated in Sestier Cannaregio, Venice.
The body of work Regalia, questions the viewer’s understanding of royalty through resistance, reclamation and symbolic reinterpretation. Inspired by Rennie’s art and heritage, the piece looks to the original inhabitants of Australia. The Aborigines. The artwork features a repetitive pattern of three symbols: a crown, a diamond and the Aboriginal flag.
The crown symbolises sovereignty while paying homage to the origins of Rennie’s practice. It poses a statement about the Aboriginal people being the lawful sovereigns of Australia, rather than the rule of the Commonwealth. The diamond in the piece reflects the artist’s acknowledgement of his Kamilaroi people. It represents the ceremonial markings of the Kamilaroi’s, which is similar to a family crest and forms part of the artist’s constitution. Finally, the Aboriginal flag, which is illustrated as a graffiti tag, pays tribute to all Aboriginal people, from urban to remote environments.
The Regalia piece is an ideal example of Rennie’s art, which most often incorporate his heritage and association with the Kamilaroi people. This identity comes to life in his work through geometrical patterns representing his community and provokes discussions around indigenous culture and identity in contemporary urban environments and society.
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