For those times when it’s too hot to get out for a visual arts adventure, there is always the Museum of Contemporary Arts STORIES AND IDEAS page.  With curatorial essays, insightful interviews, videos and more, it’s great reading and a terrific insight into and beyond MCA’s collection and exhibits. 

There’s a feature on the page from MCA Curator Anna Davis who talks about her next project, the first solo exhibition in Australia of Sun Xun. (pictured)  He is one of China’s most exciting young artists, best known for his animations made up of thousands of ink paintings, drawings and woodcuts. Davis speaks about first encountering his work and her steps toward curation of the exhibition.

There is also a feature ‘What does it mean to be a woman in the arts?‘ with a quote from Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, MCA Director: “As one of my male colleagues once said, to my dismay: ‘You have the advantage over us that you can flirt!’”  And gender bias of a different sort from Clothilde Bullen ( Pictured): “If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say ‘You’re pretty for an Aboriginal girl’, I could buy a house in Sydney!”

There are also interesting essays and reflections on past exhibitions and an insight into other projects such as ‘Civic Actions: Artists’ Practices Beyond the Museum.’  This book is international in focus and features formal essays and critiques along with conversational reflections by high-profile artists, curators, academics and cultural practitioners from across Australia, the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North and South America, who work with communities in the public realm.

There is heavy rain forecast for the rest of the week, seems like a perfect time to delve into MCA’s STORIES AND IDEAS.