“Life Elsewhere: Foreign bodies and social landscapes”
Penelope Aitken
29 Oct → 13 Nov 2004

The subject of these paintings was dislocation. The images were derived from photographs taken by artists in foreign countries which capture instances of surprise or wonder. Translated into paintings, they revealed states of transition and the fleeting, liminal moments when identity and difference come into focus.

Penelope Aitken’s practice was thematically driven by personal relationships: friendships, romantic liaisons, genealogy and cross-cultural exchange. She divided her time between making art and managing the Visual Arts Residency Program at Asialink.

In 2000 she undertook a three-month Australia Council Studio Residency at the National Institute of the Arts in Taipei. Having managed a similar program for several years, the experience of being on a residency was significant and influential. Four years later it has become the basis of Life Elsewhere: Foreign bodies and social landscapes.