Wunder Gym 2023: Recollection

Wunder Gym's 2023 program, Recollection was presented by Hobsons Bay City Council and Wyndham City Council – and supported creatives from the western regions of Melbourne to work with mentor Elvis Richardson.

Through workshops and shared resources, participants created work for an exhibition across multiple sites within the municipalities of Wyndham and Hobsons Bay during the Melbourne Fringe Festival program (3 October – 22 October 2023).

The prompt

Participants were asked to take on the roles of collectors, editors, and curators of cultural materials. Utilising found objects as the foundation for their creative process, they built upon the object’s personal and cultural meanings through a process of addition, subtraction and change to transform the viewer's understanding of that object in some way.

By engaging with their local environment and community, under the mentorship of Elvis Richardson, participants crafted inclusive, empathetic artworks that aim to contribute to a more optimistic world.

About the Mentor

Artist Elvis Richardson is known for her profound exploration of everyday life by collecting and curating objects and imagery. She skillfully gathers raw material from public sources, reconstructing them to offer insightful commentary on themes such as taste, class, and the challenges faced by working artists. Utilising a range of media, Richardson's artistic endeavors incorporate formalism and satire to expose the inherent contradictions that arise in our modern, hyper-commodified society on Earth.

Her works were recently exhibited at the Ian Potter Centre, NGV Australia, where she also hosted a Q&A session for Wunder Gym participants. 

Key dates