The Grotto
This new body of work by Berlin-based Australian artist Emily Hunt (b1981) speaks to her preoccupation with miniature art forms, ornamentation and symbolism, and the aesthetics of the grotesque in art history. Hunt’s enigmatic exhibition title The Grotto pays homage to the grotesque frescoes rediscovered within the Roman emperor Nero′s palace, the Domus Aurea, in the 15th century.
The centrepiece of the exhibition demonstrates Hunt’s conviction that ‘art is a form of magic’. She presents six handmade marionettes modelled on Australian figures associated with the occult and spiritualism, which are suspended below a trident-shaped sigil structure. These strange, lifelike creatures possess uncanny powers, ready to transport us to an ‘imaginal realm’. Elsewhere, Hunt ponders the existence of microworlds and the afterlife through ceramic sculptures and miniature watercolour paintings.
Recalling the frescoes of the Domus Aurea, Hunt has also produced a mixed-media mural and etchings portraying mysterious architecture and symbols she has found while walking through Sydney’s streets. By casting light on these features, Hunt endeavours to ‘banish banality’ and ‘re-enchant’ our city.
Text by Nick Yelverton
This exhibition is part of the Art Gallery’s new Contemporary Projects series, which highlights the work of artists from New South Wales.
Performance stills of Emily Hunt: The Grotto presented by the Art Gallery of New South Wales June 2024, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales - Anna Kucera & Jenni Carter