Daniel Breda
Marco Polo
15-26 June 2022
G1
Opening Night
Friday 17th June | 6pm – 8pm
◼︎
G. 1 Daniel Breda Marco Polo 15 June - 26 June
‘Marco Polo’ by Daniel Breda is an interactive exhibition that examines contemporary space through the juxtaposition of physical and virtual spaces utilizing traditional painting, installation and virtual reality (VR). In this exhibition, Breda extends his practice through a bold and bright abstract adaptation of the classic Australian swimming pool game ‘Marco Polo’.
‘Marco Polo’, is a childhood call and response game, where one player is metaphorically blindfolded in a body of water. The blindfolded yells ‘Marco’ in which case the other players yell ‘Polo’ until the blindfolded reaches out and touches a responder. Similarly, this exhibition see’s Breda collaborate with award winning leader in VR, Brennan Hatton to showcase an interactive VR experience inspired by these childhood thematics. The exhibition expresses Breda’s love of creating active participation in the gallery space alongside his painting practice to form juxtapositions between innovative technology and traditional art.
Breda’s painting practice romanticizes the Australian landscape from a neo-futurist perspective. The subject matter is representative of organic matter, such as mountainscapes, beach scenes and waterways, juxtaposed with hard edge abstraction reminiscent of urban developments.This is inspired by the Italian Futurist’s concept of ‘dynamic sensation’, depicting natural and mechanical forms in the pictorial plane as a unified force. Painted from what have become distant memories, each of these works depict landscapes seen whilst touring Australia as a band member of the Wollongong based punk band, ‘Hoon’. The works depict the vastness and beauty of the Australian landscape between major cities, juxtaposed with geometrical forms representative of the few architectural and mechanical forms that occupy these spaces.
“In terms of looking at art, it is a calculated ask by artist Daniel Breda whose work and presentations have always asked much more of visitors than mere sight or just looking. Wielding a combination of traditional painting, installation, and virtual reality technology, imbued with a wry sense of humour and a touch of irreverence, this exhibition is an invitation to dive in and play with an expansion of what painting is, and the ways and spaces in which we can actively engage with it. “ Lisa Pang.
Artist Bio
Daniel Breda is a contemporary artist based in Wollongong, NSW. He completed an MFA at The National Art School in 2016 and has since developed a multi-disciplinary approach to his art practice. Breda applies a colourist perspective to traditional painting, painting installations, VR painting and VR app development.
Breda’s work reflects the juxtaposition of organic and mechanical space we experience in contemporary space. This interest stems from the concept of “dynamic sensation”, outlined in the 1909 Futurist manifesto. Aligning with this theory, Breda executes his practice under the gaze of the Italian Futurists, with reference to the Australian landscape and synthetic coloured hard edge abstraction.
Breda has been in multiple group exhibitions, art prizes and expositions including Vivid Sydney and at The Melbourne Convention Centre. He has had solo exhibitions at both Gosford Regional Gallery and Project Contemporary, and in 2019 was awarded the Young Creative Leaders Fellowship through Create NSW. In 2020, Breda worked alongside the City of Wollongong to create installations involving music and art in the Wollongong Crown Street Mall, and was most recently awarded WCC funding for his 2nd solo exhibition at Project Contemporary that was held in April 2021. Breda’s 4th solo exhibition titled “The Floor is Lava”, was held at Sydney Road Gallery in June 2021. At present, Breda is working on the touring exhibition ‘Marco Polo’. This interactive multidisciplinary exhibition was held in 2022 at Praxis ArtSpace Adelaide; a part of the 2022 Adelaide Fringe Festival and is now in its second evolution at Red Gallery.
Contact
Phone : (03) 9482 3550
mail@redgallery.com.au
Address
157 St Georges Rd
Fitzroy North, Victoria, 3068
Map
How to get here
Tram: route 11
Stop 21 just north of Edinburgh Gardens
Melway ref: 30B12
Parking in nearby streets
Bus: 504 (Reid Street)
