Zzzzz: Sleep, Somnambulism, Madness

Curated by Mark Feary, Zzzzz: Sleep, Somnambulism, Madness assembled and commissioned works by a selection of contemporary Australian and international artists that explored the realm of sleep and its representation in art.

From the grand foyer entry to the main gallery upstairs, visitors were able to view installations, video work, drawing, painting, and sculpture that explored ideas of the subconscious, delirium and altered states; that examined the way the sleeping figure was represented in contemporary art; and that questioned the impact of work and economic pressures on relaxation.
Zzzzz was presented in a theatrical and immersive environment, as if one had walked into a series of darkened bedrooms, yet no one appeared to be asleep.

Rather than viewing sleep as a moment of fatigue, weakness or vulnerability, this collection of works reflected on the relationship between our physical being, and our mental processes, consciousness and subconscious.

At times serene and tender, and at others deeply disturbing, this exhibition cast a lens on how artists attempted to make sense of the process of dreaming, its mysteries, its potentialities, and its vital function in helping us form memories and make sense of the world.

Artists included:
Andy Warhol (USA)
Chicks on Speed (Australia/Spain)
Lee Hadwin (UK)
Mabel Juli (Australia)
Barbora Kleinhamplová & Tereza Stejskalová (Czech Republic)
Kate Mitchell (Australia)
Erica Spitzer Rasmussen (USA)
The Telepathy Project (Australia)
Javier Téllez (Venezuela/USA)
Ronnie van Hout (New Zealand / Australia)

This exhibition had been developed by Gertrude Contemporary in partnership with Murray Art Museum Albury and the Melbourne International Arts Festival.