Overview, Images
Cats Like Plain Crisps, Carolee Schneemann’s Cats, 2023. Courtesy of Artist.

Carolee Schneemann’s Cats

Cats Like Plain Crisps

8 Nov–2 Dec 2023

The first major retrospective of Carolee Schneemann since her death in 2019 has opened at the Barbican in London. Although Schneemann is best known for her groundbreaking performances and critical feminist voice, many of her works in the retrospective are linked by the recurring presence of her cats—her companions and co-conspirators throughout her long career. ‘The cat,’ she even declared in 1974, ‘is my medium.’ Carolee Schneemann’s Cats is an exhibition responding to this legendary artist’s feline muses.

Our multidisciplinary collective, Cats Like Plain Crisps, is newly convened and includes members from eight countries. Borrowed from an old piece of graffiti, the group’s name encapsulates some of our concerns: public art, fieldwork, objets trouvés, and text/writing. It also speaks to a posthuman and ecofeminist orientation as well as a playful, inclusive creative approach. Carolee Schneemann’s Cats is our first collaboration and—as we find Schneemann doing in her own work—explores the potential of the feral lurking within the domestic. Through our own multimedia works, realised individually and collaboratively, we will tap into Schneeman’s chaotic yet purposeful investigation into what is familiar and homely but turns out to be full of the unruly and unexpected.



Members include Yang Yeung, Hong Kong; Shauna Laurel Jones, US/Iceland/UK; Viv Corringham, UK/US; Roseanne Bartley, NZ/Australia: Johanna Hällsten Sweden/UK; Iris Garrelfs, Germany/UK and Cath Clover, UK/Australia.

Artists' Syllabus - Cats Like Plain Crisps

Saturday 11 NOV 2-3pm

Join Melbourne Art Library, Blindside and multidisciplinary collective Cats Like Plain Crisps for a discussion with the artists inspired by texts by Carolee Schneemann.

We'll be meeting at Blindside in the Nicholas Building, Room 14, Level 7, 37 Swanston St, Naarm/Melbourne from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm on Saturday, 11 November.

RSVP to be sent copies of the texts.

Supported by the City of Melbourne and Michael Robertson.

Closing event

Saturday 2 DEC 3pm

Performance by members of Cats Like Plain Crisps

Yang Yeung (artist’s performance)

Tariro Mavondo (writer/spoken word)

Catherine Clover (artist’s performance)

All welcome.

Ping, Purr

Artist publication by Shauna Laurel Jones available in gallery during the exhibition $20

Program

Onsite, Exhibition
Overview

Carolee Schneemann’s Cats is the inaugural exhibition of the international collective Cats Like Plain Crisps—whose members’ practices include visual art, sound art, filmmaking, performance, and writing—and explores the potential of the feral lurking within the domestic.

Opening Event: 9 Nov 2023, 7am–9am
Closing event: 2 Dec 2023, 4am–7:30am
No results found that match your search.

The Nicholas Building

Room 14, Level 7, 37 Swanston Street

Melbourne, Victoria, 3000

Wednesday – Saturday, 12-6pm
Closed on public holidays
(+61) 3 9650 0093
info@blindside.org.au

Join our mailing list to hear about upcoming programs at Blindside.

Working on unceded sovereign land of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, Blindside pays respect to Elders, past, present and emerging.


PATAGORANG FOUNDATION

Working on unceded sovereign land of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, Blindside pays respect to Elders, past, present and emerging.