HAM DARROCH
NICCI HAYNES
KENSUKE TODO
KATE VASSALLO
DECIBEL NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE

Curated by ALEXANDER BOYNES

10 September - 23 October 2022

American avant-garde composer John Cage (1912-1992) was one of the most influential composers of the 20th century, and continues to inspire creatives the world over in far broader genres than purely music. The Cageworks exhibition at Canberra Contemporary Art Space explores some of these outputs in the form of visual arts by Canberra and interstate artists.  

The artworks in the exhibition celebrate Cage’s interest with unconventional instrumentation and environmental music dictated by chance. The exhibition includes a largescale wall painting by Ham Darroch, an interactive technology-based work by Nicci Haynes, ‘silent sculptures’ by Kensuke Todo, and chance-based drawing installations by Kate Vassallo, alongside visual scores, recordings and a bespoke John Cage Variations App by Decibel New Music Ensemble.

Curator Alexander Boynes says of the exhibition: “John Cage’s inventive compositions and unorthodox ideas continue to profoundly influence artists. This exhibition showcases some of the playful and insightful ways Australian artists, particularly Canberra artists, are building on his legacy.”