Join us for the opening night of The Anxiety Project on Wednesday 11 September 2024, 6-8pm at The Dax Centre.

We'd be delighted to welcome you to The Dax Centre to explore and celebrate the incredible artworks of Betra Fraval, Erika Gofton, Ilona Nelson, Jacqui Stockdale and Sarah Tomasetti in The Anxiety Project.

This exciting coming together of some of Melbourne's most accomplished contemporary artists, to reflect on their experiences with anxiety, represents The Dax Centre's commitment to the growth of the Studio Dax gallery space as a platform for emerging and established contemporary artists with lived experience of mental health conditions to present their artworks.

The Anxiety Project

The Anxiety Project brings together five Melbourne-based professional artists with an interest in how art practice interacts with a lived experience of anxiety. Initially displayed at The Art Room in Footscray, The Dax Centre is honored to present the second iteration of the exhibition to further explore how anxiety manifests and operates within the creative process. Within this exhibition, Fraval, Gofton, Nelson, Stockdale and Tomasetti illuminate the complexities of anxiety, from its unrecognized presence to its management and ongoing impact on artistic practice. The artists invite viewers to traverse the emotional landscape they've crafted, prompting reflection on the role of art in both healing and as a source of anxiety itself.

The life of an artist is a constant uncertainty: from the blank canvas and creative blocks to unemployment and scrutiny. Art is not a choice; it is a calling. The connection with one’s practice is a personal, non-verbal dialogue with materiality. And, in essence, while anxiety creates hurdles to this path, it also serves as fertile ground. Despite the challenges of being an artist, art offers a profound healing power and can be a motivating force.

Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health condition in Australia, with one in six Australians experiencing anxiety in their lifetime. Many people have found engaging in creative activities can be valuable in managing anxiety and improving mental wellbeing. This exhibition aims to create a lasting impact on how anxiety is understood, managed, and transcended within the creative community.

This is a free event. Drinks and nibbles will be provided. Please register your interest in attending.

Please contact The Dax Centre with any queries:
info@daxcentre.org
+61 3 9349 2538