Undercurrents

Bronwyn Bailey-Charteris, Penelope Cain, Dean Cross, Kalanjay Dhir, Bonita Ely, Maddie Gibbs, Haines & Hinterding, Venessa Possum, Latai Taumoepeau, Andrew Yip and students of the Painting Up Country program led by Dharug artist Leanne Tobin.

On the driest continent on Earth, after the wettest year on record, our relationship with water is inherently volatile. It is the inspiration for many foundational stories, one of the fundamental elements of human life, and a resource that in recent history has been aggressively exploited. Sea levels rise, while our ability to access fresh water diminishes.

Located on the Nepean River, Penrith Regional Gallery presents Undercurrents, an exhibition that considers water as both an environmental as well as social expanse. Taking the hydrological phenomena of undercurrents as metaphor, the exhibition speaks to the invisible yet perceptible forces that have shaped ancient histories and will define our near future.

Newly commissioned and recent works by leading Australian artists create a confluence of voices that challenge our notion of water simply as a natural resource, and instead to consider it as a living entity itself, possessing agency, influence and memory.

Undercurrents encourages us to consider water in its various forms, from the prehistoric trickle that fill the Great Artesian Basin, through to atmospheric ‘sky rivers’ that connect Broken Hill in Western New South Wales to the Antarctic, and rising sea levels that lap against the shores across the Pacific Ocean.

Undercurrents is part of Water Trail, a series of exhibitions and public programs focusing on planetary and water health and has been developed in partnership with Blue Mountains Cultural Centre and Hawkesbury Regional Gallery.

3 December 2022 – 5 March 2023

*The Gallery and Cafe at Lewers are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday.