John Spiteri, Eyes on the future, 2000, video still.

George Egerton-Warburton steals a video camera, presses record, and begins a mad dash through Rome.

This video footage is both the highlight and the defining work of Che Cosa! an exhibition curated by David Capra for Wollongong Art Gallery.

In Egerton-Warburton’s video, what we see is a tour of Rome, albeit a hyperactive one where we barely catch a glimpse of its major sites and monuments. The video is about having an understanding of a culture mediated through other people’s representations.

Che Cosa! is an Italian pronoun which roughly translates to what the… with Capra referring to the term as a ‘linguistic shrug.’ What we find is this sensibility truly translates that overwhelming sense of slipperiness you find when trying to grapple a non-tangible thing, like culture.

A cheekiness reoccurs across the artists exhibiting in Che Cosa! Another highlight is Kenny Pittock, an artist who photographed each of the Mutant Ninja Turtles alongside their namesake’s masterpieces. This work took the artist on a contest through Italy, requiring an equal amount of resilience as it did security guard diversion.

Kenny Pittock, Turtle eclipse of the art, 2014, inkjet print.

Che Cosa! is then not an exhibition about being Italian. Instead, it’s about the flailing that goes on when trying to handle your place amongst your many individual cultures. And it does it through a wry smile.

WHAT :: Che Cosa!
WHERE :: Wollongong Art Gallery
WHEN :: Tuesday to Sunday until May 31
HOW MUCH :: FREE

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More arts & culture reviews from The Hanging:

The Hanging :: Duality

The Hanging :: Sophie Cape

The Hanging :: ‘I Told You I Needed You’ by Benjamin Chadbond