In a way Rob Schwartz's piece Structural Void epitomises how integral glass art has become to the Kingston Powerhouse site. In a corridor, deep in the building, Schwartz has filled a void, a cut away corner in the concrete, with textural glass bubbles, and the space is whole again.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
When the Powerhouse, first built in 1915, permanently closed in 1957, numerous ideas were floated about its future, from demolition to make way for housing, to becoming a warehouse space.
But when the Canberra Glassworks moved in in 2007 the building, in a sense, became whole again.
To celebrate 10 years of the Glassworks, and the iconic building that houses it, the Glassworks is staging an exhibition examines this symbiotic relationship.
Home is Where the Heat Is features works that have either been made at the Glassworks or, in a lovely twist, talk about the history of the site.
Jennifer Kemarre Martinello stunning vases Confluence Landscape #1 and #2 reference the native trees and grasses found on the site at the time of the first peoples.
John White's glass hay bale, Needle in a Haystack, talks of the farming history, while Ursula Halpin's delicate Naire Orthu responds to the craftwork perhaps done by women while their men worked at the Powerhouse.
Curator Jane Cush, the artistic director of the Glassworks, says she wanted to tell a story about the building but also about the people who know call it home.
"There aren't too many places in Australia that are hugely successful and accessible and housed in old buildings," she said.
"I can never see our role diminishing here, we've become an affectionate landmark embedded in the Canberra arts scene."
"I didn't have much to do much with this space," Fitzpatrick says, her collection of recycled vintage glass plates capturing the ever-changing light conditions.
The entire building has been opened to exhibiting artworks, enabling visitors to get a behind the scenes tour. Included are historic niches such as the stairwell, the engine room which houses more than 20 kilns and coldworking equipment, the hotshop, the tunnel, main galleries and foyer space.
Home is Where the Heat Is opens on October 26, 2017, and runs until January 14, 2018. On October 28 at 2pm there will be a gallery floor talk. There will also be free daily tours at 11am Wednesday to Saturday, to provide visitors with access to areas of the building usually closed to the public. There are also regular heritage tours of the building held on Saturdays at 11am.
