The White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney
For contemporary Chinese art in an architecture designed building
The White Rabbit Gallery, in Sydney’s inner city area of Chippendale, houses the personal collection of Judith Neilson. A prolific collector of contemporary Chinese art, Neilson’s collection is strong on art with political and social commentary.
Thanks to the generosity of Neilson, museum entry is free and the collection is open Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm. The collection is spread across four floors of the architecturally designed building and has a rotating collection of exhibitions. The gallery is closed twice a year as new exhibitions are installed, usually in February and August each year. Check the website before visiting for details of the latest exhibition.
The current exhibition, THEN, is a celebration of highlights from the first ten years of the White Rabbit, making it an ideal time to visit. Themes include the rapid social changes in China, the move to capitalism, comparison with the US and the evolving definition of Chinese national identity.
The exhibition will challenge your perceptions of contemporary China and emphasise the diversity and paradoxes of what China is and what it means to be Chinese. The twin works Made in China- American flag and Made in China- Chinese flag are matching American and Chinese flags made up of corporate logos.
The installation Even in Fear has a room of its own where a giant weather balloon is inflated until it is almost bursting through the roof before it is deflated and the cycle continues. The artist used it to represent the relentless quest for ‘more’ in modern China. At some point you reach a tipping point where ‘more’ makes you feel claustrophobic and longing for less but by that point it is too late.
The eerie Calm on the top floor on first glance looks like a pile of rubble, like something you would encounter at a building site. On closer inspection, as you circle around it, you notice the rubble is pulsating, as if it is living and breathing (or something trapped underneath it is). It is a rather disturbing sensation and for me represents the restlessness of modern China.
Allow about an hour and a half to see the collection thoroughly. Afterwards, stop by the gallery tea house for a pot of Chinese leaf tea or some handmade dumplings for lunch, then browse the quirky gift shop for unique gifts.