Machine Residue: Public Program with artist Ma Ei and curator Yi Li

Join artist Ma Ei for an interactive session that invites you into conversation while engaging in the gentle act of removing the roots of bean shoots. This gesture symbolises a rejection of the systems and authorities that enable organised crime and violence to rise to power. The program will open with a Q&A between Ma Ei and curator Yi, followed by the participatory activity.

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When: Sunday 26th October 1-2pm 

Where: Trocadero Project's gallery space, 1/40 Leeds Street, Footscray.

This will be a cosy gathering with limited spots.

RSVP NOW!

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Ma Ei, born in 1978 in Dawei, Myanmar, is a multifaceted artist known for her paintings, drawings, abstract photography, and performance art. Her work frequently addresses feminist themes, focusing on gender equality and the pursuit of peace. These themes are deeply rooted in her personal experiences as a woman facing societal inequality, and she uses her art to challenge norms and provoke discussion on these critical issues. Ma Ei has exhibited in over 50 shows across Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, China, the UK, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, U.S.A and Austria. She has also participated in numerous performance festivals and artist residencies in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Korea, Israel, India, and Taiwan.

Yi Li is a public and visual art curator based on Wurundjeri Country. She works across gallery and outdoor contexts to interrogate dominant social constructs and advocate for justice and care. She is committed to platforming artists whose work speaks to lived experience, critical resistance, and quiet transformation. Yi has developed and delivered public art commissions, exhibitions, and community arts programs across Melbourne and regional NSW. She has held curatorial and arts roles in Footscray Community Arts, Wyndham City Council, Albury City Council, and the University of Melbourne’s art museums.

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About the exhibition:

Machine Residue, curated by Yi Li, brings together works by Ammar Yonis, bAg, Ma Ei and Safa El Samad. Intertwining the voices of diaspora artists living in Melbourne’s west, this exhibition explores war, loss and survival, and asks: what remains under systemic violence, dehumanising regimes and their aftermath?

Some works emerge directly from personal encounters with military governments and forced displacement, while others respond to the intergenerational impact of those experiences. Critical yet caring dialogues unfold through diverse mediums, painting, photography, short stories and textile practices, revealing intimate and collective traces of resistance.

Machine Residue is part of the Trocadero Projects' 2025-26 program. The exhibition runs between 01.10.2025 - 02.11.2025

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image credit: Ma Ei, Where is A Place for Me to Sleep in Peace? Courtesy of the artist.