It is not every day that you can walk into an art exhibition and become the artist.
But a new exhibition in the regional Victorian city of Ballarat encourages the idea that art is for all by getting patrons to colour in the artworks themselves.
Memento Mori: Unleashed is an exhibition composed of images from Xander Savage’s colouring book, Memento Mori.
“It’s all about making art interactive and going along with the idea that art is for everyone,”
they said.
TBH Studio in Ballarat features local emerging artists. (ABC News: Matilda Prelec )
“I thought it would be really cool if you could exhibit colouring images, and then people could colour them in while they look at them.”
Interactive art
Memento Mori: Unleashed is on show at TBH Studio in Ballarat.
Artist and gallery co-founder Toni Louise said they and fellow co-founders Brittany Wallmeyer and Holly Would were drawn to hosting Savage’s exhibition for its interactive aspect.
TBH studio is an art collective space. (ABC News: Matilda Prelec)
“These are the things we want to see,” Louise said.
“It’s the idea of taking it away from fine art in that you are able to interact with it and draw on it, which is an interesting concept.“
Memento Mori: Unleashed exhibition had 262 markers to be used. (ABC News: Matilda Prelec)
Savage’s colouring book is pinned to a wall near a case full of different coloured markers, which people are encouraged to use to colour in the artworks.
Those who visit the exhibition are encouraged to pick some colours and colour in parts of whichever picture they choose.
Louise said accessibility was a significant factor in the design of the exhibit.
“Some of [the pages] have to be really low, and some of them needed to be up a bit higher so that kids and people in wheelchairs could be a part of it as well,” they said.
“Heaps of people have been coming in [and] pretty much most people that come in will sit and colour.
“People have been loving it.”
Art is for everyone
Artist Xander Savage’s favourite page is the Siamese Skeletons. (ABC News: Matilda Prelec)
The colouring book is filled with a blend of human anatomical and floral imagery, which Savage said was partly inspired by their work as an emergency department nurse.
“I’ve always been fascinated with anatomy, so obviously my work goes into that quite a lot,” Savage said.
For the artist, it has been “fun to see how it has progressed” over the weeks the exhibition has been open.
But regardless of how the art looks by the end, the exhibition has already achieved its goal.
“Everyone can come in, everyone can contribute and just have fun with it,” Savage said.
