Last Word:

Primavera 2022 has arrived at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and has been organised by Michael Do, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Sydney Opera House, Australia, and Curator of Projects at Auckland Art Fair, New Zealand. For this year’s iteration, Do looks through the lens of the global pandemic and widespread social upheaval to a new generation of artists drawing upon mediums from choreography to moving image, to refocus our attention to the here and now. Alex Pedley sits down with Michael ahead of the exhibition's November opening.

Alex Pedley (AP) / What brought you to Primavera 2022, and how were you brought on board for the upcoming iteration?

Michael Do (MD) / Primavera: Young Australian Artists has supported and profiled some of Australia’s most thought provoking and interesting artists and curators. The possibility of curating the exhibition began in 2021 with a series of conversation and correspondence with Dr. Lara Strongman, Director, Curatorial & Digital, Museum of Contemporary Art.

Through our exchanges, she impressed the importance of realising the exhibition that I desired, encouraging me to colour the exhibition with my interests and worldview. It was a pleasure to dream up a hypothetical exhibition which we then gradually brought to life over the past 12 months, bit by bit, artist by artist, artwork by artwork, wall text by wall text.

AP / Primavera has a long legacy, what is it that is special about this particular exhibition for you?

MD / Yes, as you say, Primavera contains the added element of its own deep and rich history, its own successes, its own failures, along with all the personalities and actors involved along the way. This brings with it expectations. There’s a significant legacy to consider, to work with and to work against. This has been an intriguing consideration during the exhibition’s development. It’s certainly weighed on me.

But the artists and I have responded by remaining authentic to ourselves, to our practices and to each other. It’s really the only response—not to get carried away with Primavera fever—the sense of what the exhibition should look, sound, feel like. That’s biggest pleasure throughout this whole process—working with the artists, authentically and honestly, to tell their stories.

Julia Gutman in her studio with her Primavera work in progress, 2022.

Photo: Simon Hewson

AP / And what is it that you’re bringing to this iteration and what can we expect to see that maybe we haven’t yet seen? What has been your Primavera process? Most importantly who can we expect to see in this iteration? What works are you really excited to see come to life?

MD / Much of my practice works with embodied practices, or live art. In my work at the Sydney Opera House, I work with artists to stage performances or events that are innovative and exploratory. These projects upon performance traditions, like theatre, choreography, sound and moving image, but aren’t necessarily recognisable as traditional performing arts.

I’ve taken these elements (ideas of audience experience, ephemerality, documentation, theatre-making) as provocations to the artists—asking how they might translate these considerations into the exhibition. I think the result will be an exhibition that has a slightly different relationship to its audiences—including the compliment of activations and performances, which for me, complete the exhibition experience.

AP / What are some of the biggest challenges in curating a showcase such as this?

MD / Exhibitions have so many moving parts to them. As you consider and decide on each element, the decisions made along the way can sometimes take you further away from your original idea and intention. I sometimes welcome this, as everything needs to be iterated, but occasionally the gaps between intention and execution are dissatisfying.

It’s not necessarily a challenge per se, more of a personal mantra that I remind myself with every project—have a sense of where you wanted to go, where you’re going, and where you’ll end up. Sometimes that pathway is straight and narrow; other times, it involves a 36 hour stop over somewhere.

AP / Finally, a favourite moment in the lead up so far?

MD / Purple cat (it’s an insider’s joke).

PRIMAVERA 2022: YOUNG AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS, 4 NOVEMBER – SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2023