The Long Game explores one artwork, The Care Taker, iterated across multiple sites, as a slow and gentle resistance to current divisive political discourses in Australia. By placing a familiar domestic set in public spaces and asking participants to reveal something personal about themselves, the installation places a sense of intimacy and care in public places. Based in Social Acupuncture theory (O’Donnell, 2006) a site responsive practice produces iterations adapted to place, to engage diverse social and cultural audiences in suburban Australia. Using care, kindness and generosity as the foundations of each iteration, the artist considers how gentle transgression or activation of public space can open and connect strangers to each other, and hopefully inspire empathy and kindness which over time may contribute to social change.
The Long Game
Abstract
Author Biography
AustraliaDan Goronszy creates unexpected arts experiences that provoke wonder and conversation about humanity and the world. She is a multi-disciplinary artist and collaborator drawing on participatory installation, puppetry, design and physical theatre. Dan works with governments, festivals, schools and community organizations throughout Australia and the world to share arts experiences in a variety of settings. She is a long-time core member and international touring artist with Melbourne’s Polyglot Theatre. Dan’s public installations invite people to reveal themselves. This can be seen in several works undertaken in central and suburban Melbourne, Australia such as The Care Taker investigating intimacy between strangers at the Arts Centre Melbourne (2018), Hobsons Bay Art In Public Space Festival (2017), and in Nilumbik Public Arts Residency (2017); Bedsheet Ghost Party making children visible by making them invisible at The Lost Lands Festival (2018) Abbotsford Convent (2016); Blood.Sex.Tears. Women of The World (2017), Geelong After Dark (2016) and La Mama Theatre, Melbourne (2016); and The Launching Board, Fawkner and MoreArt (2015) and Darebin (2016).
Further interstate and international highlights include: The Waterhole: Galapagos Islands, giant puppet theatre after Graeme Base for Melbourne Zoo’s Neon Playground (2019); Future Postal Service, Commonwealth Games Festival (2018), Regional Arts Victoria tour (2016), Perth International Festival (2015) Federation Square (2015) and Arts Centre Melbourne (2015); Food Security Training at Alice Desert Festival (2014); When Claude Met Roxy tri-state tour and sell out season Brisbane Festival (2013); Pigeonhole at White Night (2013); and My Strange Pet for ABC3 (2009). Dan received a Master of Arts (Art in Public Space) in 2018 from RMIT University.
References
Lothian, S. (2018), ‘Guerrilla kindness& other acts of creative resistance’, Mango Publishing Group, Florida.
O’Donnell, D. (2006), ‘Social acupuncture: a guide to suicide, performance and utopia’, Coach House Books, Toronto.
