A Room with a View

A Room with a View

A Room with a View is an art exhibition about everyday being and ritual. Featuring contemporary works of photography, drawing, moving image and literature by leading creatives, the virtual exhibition examines the creative impulse and the role of the home in shaping and nurturing our sense of self – alongside the demands of working or caring for loved ones at home during the pandemic.

The project was conceived during the first Victoria-wide lockdown. It aimed to be a virtual platform for social connectivity. Through a series of online and face-to-face making, exhibition and conversational initiatives, 'A Room with a View' highlighted the vital importance of home as a space for safety, solace, self-discovery and work/creation.

The ultimate goal was, and is, to support leading female practice and bring attention to the need for greater support of vulnerable women in our communities, as well as women working or taking the lead on caring for dependents in the home.

The virtual exhibition features two artist ‘viewing rooms’ progressively rolled out during the 2020/21 lockdowns and thereafter. Featuring visual artists Ali McCann and Edwina Stevens, each viewing room incorporates a long-form written interview and a virtual home/studio visit with the artist.

Please read on to learn more about the project's context. When you’re ready, press the “ENTER” button below to access the virtual space where the artists’ viewing rooms are located.

Enter the virtual space

Online from 9 June 2020 —31 August 2023

Context

In recent times, for seven out of seven days, we have been living between four walls. Many of us are finding ourselves re-discovering our homes and the objects within them as we search for comfort and deeper meaning in the face of adversity. Social isolation has sharpened the focus upon the everyday rituals of being human and the idea of home as a space of safety and solace – where we might nurture our creative or inner selves.

In an age where the domestic space is increasingly dedicated to labour, the way we think about everyday being; our relationship with time, nature, things, space and other people, is shifting. Questions are (re)-emerging or intensifying around:

• the role of educators, the arts and the caring professions;

• the definition and boundaries of the workplace/home;

• the expectations of the family unit and the welfare state; and,

• the sense of urgency around climate change and geo-political stability.  

For many the emphasis upon the home as a place of safety and solace during the pandemic rings true. However, for victims of domestic violence, most of whom are women and children, this is not the case. (1)

Since the onset of COVID-19, there has been a surge in the levels of domestic violence in Victoria and Australia. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) This, in a country where prior to the pandemic, it was concluded that one in four Australian women (23%) has experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner since age 15. (1, 8)

Women also continue to be disadvantaged in the workplace, making them more susceptible in times of economic hardship. (2, 9, 10, 11) This is particularly true within the arts sector, where the gender pay gap is 25% (versus 16% for the broader workforce) (12), and under-representation of women in exhibitions, collections and leadership roles remains an issue. (13)

During COVID-19 women have been more likely to lose their jobs at a faster rate than men, with female full-time employment down by 5.2%, 3.8% for men. (2, 9, 10, 11) Studies also indicate that women are shouldering the burden of caring for others at home; working longer hours without additional pay, leading to anxiety due to fear of job loss, and concerns around the adequacy of retirement funds. (14, 15).

* To learn more, press on the hyperlinks above.