Exhibitions celebrating the abundant creativity of children, and linking Sydney to the cultural traditions of German Romanticism and the abstract and expressionist movements of post-war Europe and America will be on show at Manly Art Gallery & Museum from Friday, 7 April to Sunday 21 May.

The delightful harbour-side venue is hosting a unique project unveiled by visual artist Lilly Blue and dancer/writer Jo Pollitt, exploring the theme ‘HUMAN’, featuring new works by contemporary artists and children exhibited, side by side.

Senior Curator Katherine Roberts said Manly Art Gallery & Museum was delighted to host ‘Human’, which is the result of a special partnership that began five years ago when Lilly Blue approached the gallery to discuss new ways of engaging with young people in our region through art.

“ ‘HUMAN’ has been curated and facilitated by Lilly Blue in partnership with the Manly Art Gallery & Museum Society. Local primary school students have been given the opportunity of in-school workshops to ignite unique creative responses, which are included in the show,” said Ms Roberts.

In an adjacent exhibition space, Manly Art Gallery & Museum is hosting a focus exhibition titled ‘Bernd Heinrich: Playground’, showcasing 11 recent paintings by the respected German-born abstract expressionist.

“We are pleased, too, to be presenting our focus exhibition of recent paintings by Bernd Heinrich, who lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches,” said Ms Roberts.

“His complex, layered compositions are powerful yet subtle and play with metaphor, memory and poetry.

Rooted in the abstract and expressionist tendencies of post-war European and American painting, his work probes the subconscious.”

Simultaneously, the gallery is presenting rising star Gabriella Hirst’s compelling video installation ‘Force Majeure’, documenting her doomed attempts at painting amid appalling weather on the Island of Rügen, in northern Germany.

“Now based in London, Gabriella Hirst also hails from the Northern Beaches. Rügen is famously associated with the 19th Century romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich.

“Gabriella’s video installation, originally commissioned by the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, in Melbourne, is displayed in Manly in extended form alongside a selection of contemporary and historical works with a shared focus on landscape, atmosphere and weather,” she said.

Manly Art Gallery & Museum is on West Esplanade Reserve (close to Manly Ferry Wharf). The Gallery is open 10am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday. Free Entry

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

HUMAN: Art Talk + Walk: Sunday 9 April, 3pm

Join the curator and artists on a walk through the exhibition exploring the ideas behind the project and their collaborations.

CARP Celebration: Sunday 21 May, 3 - 4:30pm

On the last day of the exhibition, artists, family, friends and the community are invited for afternoon tea and to help create a mural.

Bernd Heinrich: Playground: Art Talk + Walk: Sunday 23 April, 3pm

Join Bernd Heinrich on a walk through the exhibition walking about his works and art practice.

PRESS PREVIEW:  Friday, 7 April 11am at Manly Art Gallery & Museum, West Esplanade Reserve.