The Affordable Art Fair is not what I want it to be or what the name suggests- it is no great equalizer, it is not art for the masses, and it most certainly is not affordable. For $47.23 to be able to attend the opening night on Thursday, or $29.63 for general admission ($26.53 for concessions), there’s something to be said for building a brand centred around affordability with such a high barrier for entry in the middle of a cost of living crisis. My second gripe with “affordable” is their version of it- under $10,000. Granted, a cursory look around places more canvases in the mid-thousands rather than the upper end, but it is still far more than most are able to part with on a stormy Friday afternoon. 

Twelve months is a long time to work on any artwork, especially when it involves Maree Clarke (Yorta Yorta/Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung) and Mitch Mahoney (Boonwurrung/ Barkindji) working alongside twelve weavers from the Australian Tapestry Workshop to meticulously bring an incredible, collaborative tapestry to life. Welcome to Country: now you see me: seeing the invisible is a commissioned work for the new Footscray Hospital. It will take a elliptical form, hung between two floors of the hospital when it opens in late 2025.