Artist & Curator Talk // Elizabeth Day with Ann Finegan
Description
Artist & Curator Talk // Elizabeth Day with Ann Finegan
Hear from artist Elizabeth Day and Curator Ann Finegan on major survey exhibition The Fragility of Goodness: The Prison on the Landscape and Other Stories.
Saturday 16 May 2026, 11am-12pm
FREE, all welcome, RSVP essential
About the exhibition
Elizabeth Day’s survey exhibition at BRAG examines the legacy of Empire and the colonisation of Australia and its First Nations peoples. The exhibition focuses on the lasting impact of colonial prison systems and how these institutions reshaped both landscape and society.
The project connects closely to Bathurst’s history as part of a network of colonial prison towns established west of the Blue Mountains. Day has explored these themes in earlier works: in 2023, she presented There’s a Reason Beyond a Reason, 1797 Parramatta Gaol at The National 4 at Carriageworks, Redfern. This large-scale textile installation was made from unravelled second-hand garments and referenced early colonial prison architecture. Through the slow process of unravelling fabric, the work suggested the possibility of undoing the prison’s imprint on the landscape.
The Fragility of Goodness: The Prison on the Landscape and Other Stories continues this investigation. The exhibition considers how the histories of colonial prisons continue to shape contemporary Australia. Day draws connections between historical penal sites including Parramatta and Tasmania, engaging with ideas of layered colonial, geographical and social histories. Her practice is informed by both historical research and personal experience within institutional systems.
A key work in the exhibition, The Law Is Not Always Just, forms part of a new series of grass-grown texts mapping prisons across the Central West. This floor installation sits among several significant works including There’s a Reason Beyond a Reason, Notes on the Castle, the sculptural recreation of Bathurst Gaol’s Lion Gate, Invisible Words Invisible Worlds, and the collaborative community project MYCO LOGIC.
Together, this exhibition invites reflection on systems of justice, power and repair.
Getting Here
BRAG is located in the heart of Bathurst on Wiradjuri Country in the Central West of NSW.
Entry is via the Gallery/Library forecourt located at 70-78 Keppel Street. BRAG is accessible by public transport.
Victoria Pass Closure: A detour is currently in place on the Great Western Highway following the closure of Victoria Pass in both directions - but don't let that halt your road-trip adventure as there are Other Ways to the West. The region is still very much open for business, and there are some genuinely spectacular ways to get here.
Accessibility
Venue Access Information: Click here for more information
If you wish to discuss requirements before visiting the gallery, please feel free to contact us on 02 6333 6555 or email us at brag@bathurst.nsw.gov.au
Banner image: Elizabeth Day in Carriageworks’ Clothing Store Studios, where she was artist-in-residence from 2021-2023. Photo: Jacquie Manning.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
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