Alex Davern: Uneasy Architect

Frogs in boiling water

The worst dream I’ve ever had felt like the world had been turned inside out; or upside down. Something akin to a rubber popper, ready to violently invert. It was clear that something was not right. There was this strange texture in the back of my throat while falling asleep; a peculiar sensation of grittiness and absorbency at the same time. The dream had something to do with the moon. The details were unclear, but the overwhelming dread was not. In a fever dream I sleepwalked that night, and without going into any more details, it did not turn out well.

Being included in Uneasy Architect has allowed me to continue my investigations into the intersection of light, architecture, and emotion. These artworks depict post-digital dimensions, blurring the lines between the familiar and the fantastical.

There are two halves to my contribution here at Haus of Vovo. I see these halves sort of like two distinct parts of the mind. Similar to opposing repetitive thoughts. You are greeted by an intense field of orange. A hot space. Works have been selected for their uneasy qualities. A flat tire, an upturned ice-cream, the increased usage of the word ‘heatwave’. Snippets of social media sound bites zip around the gallery. The secondary space has been designed to offer an embrace of sorts. Momentarily meditative and soothing, until it’s not. This ‘lighter’ space presents a rhythmic video installation featuring ‘mantras’ found through automatic writing and presented as fictional passwords over a hypnotic looped video of soft serve ice-cream. This video is driven by an endless distorted drone, only temporarily quelled by the ringing of a bell and the appearance of a password, only to rise again once the phrase has dissolved.

This collection of works is loosely inspired by the cycles and patterns of the universe; language and its ability to link us to the digital world, the analogue and the digital, the virtual and the real. Overall, I enjoy evoking a sense of ambiguity, challenging the audience to consider how consumerism, digital landscapes and internal mantras shape our perception of the world.

Alex Davern is a visual artist, musician and library worker based in Hobart. Since attaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Tasmanian School of Art in 2012, Davern has undertaken numerous solo and group exhibitions nationally and overseas, including The clouds have cameras, curated by Kylie Johnson (Contemporary Art Tasmania, Hobart), Transparent things (Bett Gallery, Hobart), On Belonging(s), curated by Erin Wilson (Devonport Regional Gallery, Tasmania), and erogazione in corso (Villa Lena, Palaia, Italy.) He has been selected for a number of Australian prizes including The Hadley's Art Prize, Tidal National Art Award and The Glover Prize. Davern has also been granted a number of studio residencies, including Villa Lena (Palaia, Italy), Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery (Tasmanian Central Highlands), Launceston Church Grammar School (Launceston, Tasmania) and Contemporary Art Tasmania (Hobart, Tasmania). His works are held in public and private collections, notably Artbank, National Gallery of Australia and Villa Lena Foundation.