SYDNEY.- The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia celebrates twenty-five years of Primavera – the annual exhibition dedicated to showcasing the work of young Australian artists – with Primavera at 25: MCA Collection.

Curated by Megan Robson, MCA Assistant Curator, the exhibition includes work by 22 artists and collectives who have previously exhibited in the exhibition. Drawn from the MCACollection, Primavera at 25 brings together established and emerging artists working across a range of disciplines from painting, sculpture, video, performance, kinetic and installation art.

For many artists, Primavera marks the start of a long relationship with the MCA. Since 1992, 206 artists have exhibited in Primavera with the MCA acquiring over 230 works by artists in the exhibition for the MCA Collection. These include artworks that were first exhibited in a Primavera exhibition and works made many years afterwards.

MCA Director, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE said: ‘Established in 1992, Primavera is one of the longest running exhibitions in the country and has proved a significant platform for artists at an early stage in their career.’

‘ Primavera at 25 is a time to reflect and applaud the achievements of former Primavera artists who have gone on to exhibit both nationally and internationally, and to play a significant role in the development of contemporary art practice in Australia.’ Macgregor continued.

Curator Megan Robson said: ‘An anniversary presents a moment for reflection, an opportunity in which to consider the past and contemplate the future. Taking this significant milestone as a departure point, Primavera at 25 brings together works by artists, who have previously exhibited in Primavera, that explore concepts of transformation, time and history.’

A number of works in the exhibition, including artworks by Nell, Rebecca Baumann, Gemma Smith and Ross Manning, transform in front of our eyes, spinning and turning, shimmering and sparkling, or shape shifting to create new forms.

Time is explored by Tim Silver and Emma White in works that record time, mark set intervals or deliberately age; whilst Simon Yates, Sangeeta Sandrasegar and Heather Douglas draw upon personal and shared memories.

Nicholas Mangan, Danie Mellor, Pedro Wonaeamirri and Constanze Zikos consider our relationship to the past by their use of classical motifs and forms, reflect on our cultural histories or reinterpret traditional designs using contemporary materials. The collective known as Barbara Cleveland perform historic works reinterpreting them for contemporary audiences.

After its presentation at the MCA, Primavera at 25 tours throughout the country visiting five regional museums and cultural centres. The tour commences at the Murray Art Museum, Albury, NSW (28 April – 25 June 2017) and continues at the Gold Coast City Gallery, QLD (14 July – 3 September 2017); Artspace Mackay, QLD (16 February – 13 May 2018), Glasshouse Port Macquarie, NSW (15 June – 19 August 2018) and concludes at the Western Plains Cultural Centre, NSW (31 August – 25 November 2018).

Primavera at 25: MCA Collection artists include: Abdul Abdullah (Primavera 2015), James Angus (Primavera 1992), Rebecca Baumann (Primavera 2011), Barbara Cleveland(Primavera 2011), Heather Douglas (Primavera 2015), Mikala Dwyer (Primavera 1992 and guest curator Primavera 2014), Shaun Gladwell (Primavera 2003), Agatha Gothe-Snape(Primavera 2010), David Griggs (Primavera 2006), Nicholas Mangan (Primavera 2004), Ross Manning (Primavera 2009), Danie Mellor (Primavera 2005), Yukultji Napangati(Primavera 2005), Nell (Primavera 1999), David Noonan (Primavera 1999), Sangeeta Sandrasegar (Primavera 2004), Tim Silver (Primavera 2002), Gemma Smith (Primavera 2008), Emma White (Primavera 2010), Pedro Wonaeamirri (Primavera 2005), Simon Yates (Primavera 2006) and Constanze Zikos (Primavera 1992).

Primavera was initiated in 1992 by Dr Edward Jackson AM and Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM and their family in memory of their daughter and sister Belinda Jackson.