Anne Landa Award, 2004

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Sydney, NSW, Australia

2 December 2004 - 13 February 2005

Curated by Wayne Tunnicliffe

'My Voyager' was selected by curator Wayne Tunnicliffe to be included in the inaugural Anne Landa Award, which was held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2004. The work was included in the exhibition, which focused on new media, because of the way in which it combined digital technologies, video and sculpture.

About the exhibition:
Six young and innovative artists have been selected for the inaugural Anne Landa Exhibition and Award. The award has been established in honour of Anne Landa, a Trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales who died in 2002.

Initiated by Anne Landa's daughter, Sophie, and Edmund Capon, Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the award acknowledges her exceptional support of the visual arts in Australia. "Anne was a woman of great passion, energy and courage. This award honours a truly remarkable Australian who was a great supporter of the arts in this country," said Edmund Capon.

A panel comprising Juliana Engberg, Director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Edmund Capon and Wayne Tunnicliffe, Curator of Contemporary Australian Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, selected the six artists whose work is represented in this exhibition. "We chose some of Australia's most innovative younger artists working with moving images for this first exhibition. The exhibition includes videos, DVDs, animations, and digital media. While the art ranges from the low-tech to the high-tech in approach, all of it reflects on the vital role of screen culture in shaping our lives."

A subtle politics infuses Peter Hennessey's digital animation of the Voyager space probe and soundtrack of messages recorded for anyone in outer space who may encounter the voyager, greetings from earth to aliens.

"The exciting thing about the Anne Landa Award is that it will bring new faces, new work and new possibility into the Art Gallery of New South Wales. I can't think of a more true and fitting tribute to my mother. She was such a vibrant and passionate supporter of the arts and just loved encouraging new ideas. I know that she would think this award was pretty fabulous," said Sophie Landa.