15 Gold Coast artists working in performance, dance, music, visual art, screen and sound came together for a curated salon of work in development that were presented as part of a new series from Placemakers* GC – Behind The Golden Doors. In March 2020, as an immediate response to COVID19 on the arts industry and business, Placemakers* went to market with a paid opportunity for local artists to create a new work as part of this series.

The first salon was delivered at Rick Roser’s Studio in Burleigh Heads, followed by the second salon at the Farmhouse, Miami. Art-Work Agency was incredibly proud to host the third and final salon featuring four female creative practitioners; Daniele Constance, Laurie Oxenford, Natalie Popovski and Rebecca Ross. Presented in our back industrial event space under the stars, the evening was a warm gathering of our community framed by experimental art making, critical discussion and of course, wine.

Lead by Bleach* Festival Artistic Director Rosie Dennis, each artist was engaged in a conversation about their work, diving into the ideas presented and the nuances of their personal practice. We’re really proud to see emerging artists on the Gold Coast produce high quality contemporary artwork with confidence and articulation.

Laurie Oxenford’s experimental sculptural artwork had us holding our breath and wondering about the nature of material led experiments, Daniele helped us think deeper about how, why and on what we share food to build connection. Natalie Popovski unveils the everyday and personal objects as articulate portraits of the individual and the countercultures they traverse. Through a non-linear narrative of image and video work, Rebecca Ross studies the relationship between the terrestrial and the universe, drawing us deep into her exploration.

Congratulations to all the Behind the Golden Doors presenting artists and to Placemakers* GC for facilitating this inspiring and experimental projects for local artists.