Arts Project Australia's FEM-aFFINITY headlines Horsham gallery's reopening after COVID-19

Headlining the gallery's reopening is the exhibition FEM-aFFINITY, a series of works from female artists involved with Arts Project Australia.

After touring earlier in the year through Melbourne, Davenport in Tasmania, and Noosa in Queensland, the show was put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

National Exhibitions Touring Support Victoria exhibitions coordinator Jessica Row said it was a thrill to bring the exhibition back to life in Horsham.

"This is the first time we've been able to show this exhibition in a long time, so we're really excited to return," she said.

"Horsham is the first destination again, so it's great to bring it to Horsham audiences and allow them to find their own affinity with the exhibition."

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The exhibition pairs established artists with artists involved in Arts Project Australia - a program for artists who identify with an intellectual disability.

Some artists were introduced and created new works, while other works were pre-made and chosen by their similarities in subject matter, technique, and process.

Curator and associate professor at the Australian Catholic University Catherine Bell said the exhibition celebrated the connection between the artists.

"I'm a regular visitor to the Arts Project Australia gallery and have a particular interest in the work of the female artists who attend their studio," she said.

"I have often considered the uncanny connection their work has with other female contemporary artists. I'm interested in highlighting the affinity."

Through interdisciplinary approaches, such as painting, printmaking, drawing, performance and photography, the exhibition also considers how artworks are a complex and nuanced way of thinking about embodied knowledge and how it aligns with identity politics explored in contemporary art.

The exhibition runs from Tuesday, December 1, to Sunday, January 17.

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Horsham gallery curator Alison Eggleton said there would also be two other exhibitions on show alongside FEM-aFFINITY: a landscape show from the gallery's collection, and UNstable, a solo show by Megan Evans.

Ms Eggleton said it was fantastic to welcome people back to the gallery.

"The three shows are quite diverse, while showing a lot of women's practice throughout," she said.

"It is going until the 17^th of January, which is a slightly shorter duration than some other shows, but we're interested in getting a critical mass of people coming."

Ms Eggleton said there would also be restrictions in place to follow COVID-safe practices.

"We want people to feel comfortable in the space and to allow enough room between everyone," she said.

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