In an era of constant scrolling and visual saturation, Slow Read turns our attention back to the printed page and to quiet, deliberate acts of looking and reading. The featured artists are all drawn to printed matter, creating artist books and multi-disciplinary artworks that explore the possibilities of the book format. Within this exhibition, artist-led publishing is recognised as a rich creative practice and an art form in its own right.
By engaging with the universally familiar features of the book format, artists can experiment within or outside of its defined conventions. Unique approaches to sequence, structure and design informs the pace and duration of the reading journey, while the interplay of text and image suggests evocative textures, prompting an imaginative experience that may unfold differently on each encounter.
Many of the featured artworks have been created with source materials from the artists’ own extensive personal collections, where subject and thematic focused text and imagery have been lifted from culture magazines, art history books, archives and more. The extracted fragments are recontextualised through collage and assemblage, inviting us to slow down and engage with these works – allowing our imaginations to wander through poetic new combinations and sometimes unexpected pairings.
Featuring: Jacky Cheng, Zoë Croggon, Julie Gough, Gracia & Louise, Nadia Hernández, Deborah Kelly, Martin King, David Noonan and Jayda Wilson.
Exhibition Opening
Please join us for the official exhibition opening on Saturday 9 May from 1 to 4 pm. A curator-led tour of Slow Read will begin at 1 pm. For more information about the exhibition opening, please visit Exhibition opening – Slow Read and Desire Lines | City of Boroondara.
This exhibition is presented in partnership with Melbourne Writers Festival.
Image 1: Zoë Croggon, Spine, 2024, collage of found images and glue on paper, Perspex frame, 47.6 x 36.7 x 7 cm (framed). Courtesy of the artist and Daine Singer.
Image 2: Nadia Hernández, Palomita/Soledad, 2023, oil, permanent marker, colour pencil and synthetic polymer paint on linen, 3 parts, each 200.0 x 150.0 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and STATION.
Image 3: Gracia and Louise, detail from The remaking of things, 2025, digital collage on vinyl, more details to come. Image courtesy of the artists.
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