A new exhibition at Manly Art Gallery & Museum brings together a diverse group of artists to create works that reflect on the role sporting activities plays in our lives.  The works presented in the exhibition are meant to expand the audience’s appreciation of their favourite sports and highlight the possibility to better understand ourselves and our cultures through a unique perspectives on the sports we as Australians love so much.

There is a myth that sport and art are natural enemies, as exemplified by the ongoing debate about the allocation of public funding by governments at all levels in Australia. Fair Play seeks to bridge the gap between these two forms of cultural production and to demonstrate that they both empower us to express ourselves physically, emotionally and intellectually, enabling us to connect and communicate with each other around the world — across borders, cultures, languages, and generations. The exhibition is intended to create a deeper discourse on the role of sports and their connection to arts and to ourselves.

The artists selected for this exhibition work in multi-disciplinary and experimental art practices and use sport motifs as metaphor to inspire the viewer to reflect on the broader social issues that confront contemporary society.  Issues such as post-colonialism, environmentalism, belonging, masculinity, and mental health.

In addition to the selected artist’s works, the curator has selected works from MAG&M’s collection of paintings, ceramics, and sporting paraphernalia, to encourage the viewer to further consider the fundamental roles of sports and art.

Fair Play’s exhibiting artists are Billy Bain, Amber Boardman, Kellie O'Dempsey, Michael Garbutt & Sehar Naz Janani, Rew Hanks, Lyndal Irons, Ben Rak, Abdullah M.I Syed, and Gerry Wedd. For a full program of events is part of this exhibition. Refer to the website for details of how to attend the exhibition opening.

9 Dec 2022 – 26 Feb 2023

Manly Art Gallery & Museum

Image detail:  Amber Boardman, Trophy Melt, 2022, oil on canvas 152 x 183cm. Image courtesy of the artist