Skin Rituals
Anna Dunnill
24 Jan–10 Feb 2018
Skin Rituals by Anna Dunnill sought to create a bodily space in which queerness and religious ritual could co-exist.
In this work, the skin surface - embodied through linen and clay, as well as physical performance - was understood to hold accumulated layers of experience and identity. Through piercing, scrubbing and imprinting these surfaces, they were deliberately re-inscribed with new meanings. Acts of ‘wounding’ and ‘caring’ became ambiguous gestures, and old scars were reclaimed and redefined.
At a time when the discussion of religion, spirituality and queerness - especially around issues such as marriage equality and Safe Schools - was a tumultuous narrative of opposition and backlash, this body of work provided a space for the queering of religion, and suggested new ways of being and understanding.
Skin Rituals by Anna Dunnill sought to create a bodily space in which queerness and religious ritual could co-exist.
This program takes place on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded - this land is stolen land. We pay respects to Wurundjeri Elders, past, present and emerging, to the Elders from other communities and to any other Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders who might encounter or participate in the program.
Anna Dunnill is an artist, writer and editor based in Naarm / Melbourne. Her current research explores prayer and ritual through craft processes, including weaving, spinning, dyeing and ceramics.
Anna Dunnill at the Festival Bar at MIDSUMMA Talk Event: Queers and Our Hidden Histories. 6:30pm, Wednesday 24 January, 2018.
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