Hi everyone,
I hope you’re all doing well.
Last month I made two announcements: (1) This August, I will be collaborating with my good friend Nuno Rodrigues de Sousa on an exhibition at Chrissie Cotter gallery titled ‘In the Flat Field’; and (2) I was invited to speak at Louise Bourgeois: Tides and Currents, a symposium convened by Léa Vuong from the University of Sydney, produced by the Art Gallery of NSW with support from The Power Institute and the French Embassy in Australia, and held in conjunction with the fantastic exhibition ‘Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day?’.
This month I would like to mention a few of the things that I have been up to since those announcements.
In late February, I was proud to join Dr Lindy Hume AO, Wesley Shaw (AGNSW Head of Learning and Participation), the Cad Factory, and eight other socially engaged artists (fellow alumni of the CASE Incubator program) for the launch of the Cad Factory’s CASE Incubator Studio – a new national hub for the development of socially engaged art practices.
In early March, I delivered my presentation, ‘Controlling Chaos: Psychoanalysis, Sublimation, and the ‘Guarantee of Sanity’, as part of Louise Bourgeois: Tides and Currents at the Art Gallery of NSW. Some other highlights from the symposium included: talks by Justin Paton, the head curator of international art at AGNSW, and award winning writer Mireille Juchau; a live performance by artist and musician Satch Hoyt; French curator Marie-Laure Bernadac discussing her recent publication Transatlantique – Louise Bourgeois; and numerous presentations by my fellow artists, including my fellow panelist, Dr Helen Pynor who talked about her stunning collaboration with Peta Clancy, The Body is a Big Place.
Mid-March, I travelled to Kandos for the second leg of the KanCan laboratory organised by the Canberra Art Biennial (CAB) and Cementa. I had a great time with fellow KanCan artists Juundaal Straang-Yettica, June Golland, Sophie Dumaresq, Emma Rani Hodges, and Tom Buckland, as well as Cementa creative director Alex Wisser and CAB creative producer Tegan Garnett. Highlights from the second lab include: Welcome to country by Uncle Peter Swain; swimming at Ganguddy (and jumping off high rocks); learning about regenerative farming practices at Franks’ Breakaway; meeting members of the local community at the Kandos CWA Rooms; and successfully rescuing a turtle.
Welcome to Country with Uncle Peter Swain. Photo: Alex Wisser 
Photo: Tegan Garnett 
Swimming at Ganguddy. Photo: Tegan Garnett 
Learning about regenerative farming practices from Jenny & Reg Franks with input from Uncle Peter Swain. Photo: Alex Wisser 
Franks’ Breakaway. 
Sophie, Tom and Emma at Franks’ Breakaway. 
WAYOUT 
Kandos CWA Rooms. 
Rescued Turtle! 
We went back to Ganguddy to jump off higher rocks. Photo: Sophie Dumaresq
In late March, I attended Big Trauma/Big Change: Building Tomorrow Today, a 3-day International Forum by the Big Anxiety Research Centre, at UNSW, Kensington. There were great workshops, talks and performances, as well as numerous enriching conversations in-between programmed events.
Caitlin Marshall & Lizzie Rose, founders of Makeshift, introduce their new book Creative First Aid. 
London-based visual artist and creative health expert, Daniel Regan ran a workshop on self care for practitioners (sponsored by Creative Australia).
Many thanks to all the amazingly talented, dedicated, and hard-working people who put together these events which I have been so lucky to participate in.
For all the latest updates make sure you’ve signed up to my mailing list or follow me on any of the various social media platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr).
Tom Isaacs 