Join us in the Outer Space Main Gallery to celebrate the opening of Lure by Seren Wagstaff & Joseph Botica.

About the exhibition

Lure is the latest collaborative body of work by Seren Wagstaff and Joseph Botica. The exhibition speaks from shared experiences growing up in coastal towns in regional Queensland, with particular reference to memories surrounding fishing.

Fishing, a staple community activity in both Wagstaff and Botica’s hometowns, could be considered a practice of “bogan spirituality”. The sheer potentiality of casting a line into the vast depths of the ocean is something that is often described as “more than just a sport”. In an attempt to maintain connection to both their regional communities and their contemporary urban queer communities, the artists explore ways in which fishing could bridge wide cultural rifts, allowing unlikely connections.
Through sculpture, image, performance and video installation, the exhibition showcases and experiments with the outcomes of public facing performances through a queer regional perspective.

In this body of work, Wagstaff and Botica investigate how different social groups exhibit culture and their associated artefacts. Lure uses regional aesthetics and infrastructure to draw strong comparisons between self-care and pleasure-based activities seen in both queer communities and remote areas of South East Queensland.

Click here for information ~

About the artist⁠s

Joseph Botica is an artist operating between Meanjin and Gadigal land, employing a sculptural, installation-based and fashion design practice. Botica dissects the “object” and explores its symbolic potential, particularly where it intersects with human anatomy. Through aesthetic alchemy, they modify material, image and the body towards an expansion of being.

@josephcbotica / josephbotica.com

Seren Wagstaff is a Meanjin based visual artist who pursues public facing collaborations that test geographic and social themes. Primarily working in sculpture, installation and performance, Wagstaff’s works are typically presented as artefacts or evidence of a public experiment. Wagstaff takes influence from regional infrastructures to construct nuanced representations of public spaces, events and sub-cultures. Her work has previously been exhibited internationally and nationally.

@serentonin / serenwagstaff.com

ACCESSIBILITY: The gallery is wheelchair accessible from the Brunswick St entrance. If you have any specific access needs or questions, please either email admin@outerspacebrisbane.org or send us a message on Instagram.

This is a free event, and all are welcome to attend, engage and explore, respectfully. There will be a licenced bar with water and non-alcoholic options.

Cover image: courtesy of artists.

Outer Space is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, the Australian Government through Creative Australia and the Outer Space community.