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A collage of a woman staring at an artwork in a blue frame.

Narcissus by Angela Tiatia

Art Activation

1 - 10 March 2024

Located on the Western Broadwalk and underneath the Monumental Steps

Comprising of photographic stills and film, Narcissus (2019) reimagines the classical Greek myth of a beautiful young boy staring longingly and endlessly at his reflection, only to be met by his own demise.  

Here, vulnerabilities, frustrations, flaws and strengths are shown as a collective effect...

Angela Tiatia on Narcissus, 2019

all about the project

Drawing upon a lineage of artists inspired by this myth, such as Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio’s canvases (1597–99) and Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden (1966), Tiatia’s interpretation is a contemporary exploration of the self. Reflecting our insta-tik-toked social media age, Tiatia has assembled 40 ‘Narcissi’ who each collectively embody a myriad of emotions – ecstasy, love, desire, despair – trapped in an endless cycle of self-obsession. Never satiated, they continue to clamor and grasp for their own reflection, only to be met by a tragic fate of their doing. 

The production of Narcissus involved 80 professional actors, performance artists and crew, representing one of Tiatia’s largest productions to date.  

 

Angela Tiatia (she/her)

Sāmoan and Australian, lives and works in Sydney. 

Angela Tiatia explores contemporary culture through performance, moving image, painting, sculpture and photography, drawing out the relationships between representation, gender, neo-colonialism and the commodification of body and place. Often through the lenses of history, popular and material culture, the artist moves deftly in her compositions of still and moving image from pointed detail to satellite view addressing themes within power structures and how these impact the individual and their communities. 

Tiatia has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally, and her work is held in numerous national and international public collections.

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