Founding Member Gerda Taro of the Original Guerilla Girls, the Trailblazing New York Feminist Activist Collective and the National Gallery of Australia to Headline Talk Contemporary at Sydney Contemporary

Sydney Contemporary, presented by Deutsche Bank, announces that Gerda Taro – founding member of the original Guerilla Girls from New York and the National Gallery of Australia will headline Talk Contemporary for 2019. The talk Art and Activism on 13 September will punctuate a stellar year for Talk Contemporary.

The four-day Talk Contemporary program presented by Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, caters for collectors and art loving public alike with curated discussion panels, workshops, performative lectures and events running throughout the Fair from 12-15 September. Talk Contemporary explores topical and controversial themes in contemporary art and culture relevant today with leading figures in the arts and related creative fields.

Talk Contemporary 2019 announced with highlights including:

Art and Activism: Campaigns for gender equity from a member of the original Guerrilla Girls collective and the National Gallery of Australia. Alison Wright, National Gallery of Australia Assistant Director and creator of the #knowmyname campaign to champion female artists, joins legendary activist Gerda Taro, past member of the original Guerrilla Girls collective as well as current member of Guerrilla Girls BroadBand to ask: ‘What will it take to achieve gender equality in the art world?’ Join a discussion on art, feminism and activism for today and tomorrow. Friday 13 September, 6-7pm

COLOUR IS MY SUPERPOWER features a diverse panel discussing their use of colour in their practice, including artists and designers Rachel Burke (Multi-disciplinary Designer, Artist/Stylist), Ken Done (Artist), Taline Gabriel (Food Stylist/Blogger) Yasmine Ghoniem (Interior Designer), Linda Jackson (Fashion Designer/Artist), and Evi O (Artist) moderated by Tim Ross (Comedian, Radio Host and Design Enthusiast).Thursday 12 September, 7-8pm

A series of performative lectures presented by Copyright Agency on Friday 13 September include:

Art:Value:Identity led by Wiradjuri conceptual artist Amala Groom

Art:Value:Economy with Blocumenta, an ongoing research project lead by Baden Pailthorpe and Denise Thwaites

Art:Value:Health with interdisciplinary artist John A Douglas

Art:Value:Community with artist David Capra and his dog Teena, in conversation with Anastasia Klose

Art Speak: Can Art Really Change the World? is an interactive session hosted by Richard Glover (Radio Presenter and Journalist). This session will explore a topical debate in which the audience is invited to question, discuss, agree and disagree in an open and dynamic exchange. Saturday 14 September, 11.30-12.30pm

Indigenous Languages and the Visual Voice discussion addresses The International Year of Indigenous Languages, a United Nations observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of Indigenous languages across the world, with the aim to understand and promote how language holds cultural importance and agency. The panel hosts artists using language and their visual voice to address inequity and inappropriate representation and place the artists worldview at the centre of the conversation. Speakers include Brook Andrew (Artist and Curator Biennale of Sydney), Tony Albert (Artist) and artists from APY Lands including Vicki Cullinan, Illuwanti Ken and Sally Scales, moderated by Clothilde Bullen (Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Exhibitions and Collections at MCA). Sunday 15 September, 3 -4pm

Meet the creative innovators explores creative pursuits and process across art, music, fashion, architecture and pioneering experimental cuisine with speakers including Danielle Alvarez (Head Chef at Fred’s), Gary Bigeni (Fashion Designer), Chun Yin Rainbow Chan (Artist and Musician), Hannah Tribe (Architect and Founder of Tribe Studios) moderated by Jess Scully (Curator and City of Sydney Councillor). Sunday 15 September, 12-1pm

Professor Paul Gladston (UNSW) leads a talk on Diffractions – Daoist, Buddhist and Confucian Aesthetics in Trans-cultural Contemporary Art. Topics explored by the panel will be a range of issues, including the diffractive intersections between differing cultural outlooks that characterise aesthetics historically in Chinese cultural contexts and as part of contemporaneity as well as the significance of those intersections for current critical relationships between art, politics and society. Speakers include artists Lindy Lee, Pamela See, Tim Silver and Frank Vigneron (Artist and Author). Thursday 12 September, 2.30-3.30pm.

Art and Architecture – The Psychology of Space will see three different creatives discuss how they negotiate the creation of an experience within a space via aesthetics with Julin Ang and Simon Rochowski (Directors of Studioplusthree Architects), Sabine Hornig (Artist), Alexander Lotersztain (Designer) and Kathy Temin (Artist). Thursday 12 September, 4-5pm

A Gallerist and an Artist walked into a bar explores the relationship between the artist and gallerist with Darren Sylvester (Artist) and Ursula Sullivan (Director, Sullivan+Strumpf). Thursday 12 September, 6-9pm (VIP program)

Confessions of an Art Addict returns in 2019 with four art collectors discussing their art collections including Glenn Barkley, Michael Buxton, Roslyn Oxley and Penelope Seidler AM. Saturday 14 September, 1-2pm

Artist Profile presents Guo Jian – a talk with the Chinese-Australian artist and writer Linda Jaivin about China’s ‘rubbish culture’ and the ‘culture of violence’ and how the artist reflects on them in his work. The discussion will address Jian’s installation The Meat and why, thirty years after Tiananmen, he won’t let go. Saturday 14 September, 2.30-3.30pm

Tasmanian Creatives presented by Arts Tasmania is a panel discussion with acclaimed creatives from Tasmania who will address how the artistic landscape has shaped and influenced their practice, their business and how the landscape itself has changed; with artists Julie Gough, Fiona Hall and Patrick Hall, gallerist Michael Bugelli and Analiese Gregory (Head Chef of Franklin), moderated by Jarrod Rawlins (Curator at MONA). Saturday 14 September, 4-5pm

Artist Amos Gebhardt presented by Tolarno Galleries will lead a session titled WRITING & CONCEPTS. This lecture and publication series exploring the insights that practitioners have into their own creative and cultural practices was founded by Jan van Schaik, and provides an opportunity for artists to discuss and publish these insights in a public forum. Sunday 15 September, 4.30-5.30pm

For further information on the Talk Contemporary program visit: www.sydneycontemporary.com.au/talk19/