Dan Arps in ‘New South Vol. 2: Recent Sculpture & Installation Art’ at Hazelhurst Arts Centre

New South Vol. 2 is a major group exhibition presenting recent examples of sculpture and installation art from across Southern Australasia. Bringing together an intergenerational group of 17 artists, the exhibition offers a snapshot of current sculptural practice and the ideas shaping it today.

A key theme of the exhibition is inter-relations, what happens between objects, materials, built environments and viewers. The artworks are presented together in shared space, allowing them to interact, overlap and influence one another. These encounters invite visitors to notice new connections and meanings as they move through the exhibition.

New South Vol. 2 is a follow-up of two earlier exhibitions hosted by Hazelhurst Arts Centre, South (2014), which featured artists from Australia, Mexico and South Africa, and New South (2024), which focused on contemporary painting.

Installation art has its roots in the experimental art movements of the 1960s, including happenings, assemblage and performance. Installations are often made from gathered objects, materials and sensory elements, and are designed to respond to the gallery space. Many works invite visitors to enter or move through them, encouraging engagement through sight, sound and physical experience. This immersive approach allows for open interpretation and multiple ways of understanding each work.

Dan Arps is represented in Aotearoa by Lett Thomas