On Now:

This exhibition is the first project Headquarters has embarked on. From a national open call, five disabled artists – Cheryl Que Jada Canning, Sue Jo Wright, Marianthe Loucataris, Fayen d’Evie and Makareta Leathart – were selected and commissioned to make works for our new space. Their pieces speak to their lived experiences, diverse practices; past, present and future realities and universal points of connection. Stylistically, they all play with, challenge and defy traditional, ableist artform boundaries and expectations.

The road from commissioning to presentation has been much like the last few years; full of unexpected twists and turns, revelations, struggle and joy. Working with a Crip Time ethos – which honours our bodies and responds to their changing states – has allowed things to unfold in a responsive and caring way.

One of the things that Headquarters is hoping to do is to build better literacy in our arts ecology around disabled work, and assist artists to have their work responded to in a genuine and informed manner. As part of this, in addition to commissioning artworks, as part of this first program we have commissioned a response to each work, by another disabled artist. These responses take many forms – writing, conversations, etc. They open up new access points for the works, and bring to light features that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Take your time to engage with the works as they land in this space. Experience, re-experience, reflect.