MOCA has partnered with Making Art Making Change (MAMC) in order to deliver a seniors outreach programme in which participants would respond to the current exhibitions through art-making sessions. The sessions were held off-site and in partnership with The Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Community Centre Seniors Services.
Participants of the programme were invited to respond to Eleven Columns by Phylida Barlow, The Separation by Liz Magor, and Dancing in the Light, an exhibition of works drawn from The Wedge Collection. After receiving an in-depth tour of the shows, the twelve group members settled on the overarching concept of lived experience, titling their exhibition Nadie Me Quita Lo Bailado, (No one can take away all the times I danced), a Latin American expression for a life lived to the fullest.
The exhibition theme takes inspiration from the concept of portraiture and story-telling within Dancing in Light, as well as the use of discarded or found materials sparked by the works of Barlow and Magor. The elderly can often be overlooked, the group notes, yet through their stories, life lessons and hope can emerge. In their art, the participants have recreated memories of making toys from leftover things, as well as moments of joy and resilience.
MAMC is a non-profit charity committed to giving voice to communities through the use of visual arts, and storytelling. They operate with the purpose to enrich individual lives, break isolation, and strengthen connections within diverse communities through the creation of distinctive, group art-making projects.
