Image Charles Dennington, Untitled, 2011, polymer clay
 

FBi: First off, what’s with the name? I know wunderkind is a child genius, what is a Wunder Pond?
Sandra Di Palma: When I was considering what to title the exhibition I was playing around with the word wander. I thought it was reflective of the way the artists in the exhibition approach their practice and, as a viewer, described what it was like to experience their work. One of the artists then brought to my attention the German word Wunderkammer which translates to “A place where a collection of curiosities and rarities is exhibited.” I loved the way the word ‘wunder’ not only sounded like wander, but was descriptive of the aesthetic qualities of the work.

I like that Wunder Pond evokes the concept of a space you can immerse yourself in, where you can enter and get lost into another world with different perceptions.

“WUNDER POND seeks to highlight the role of art as an outlet for the enigmatic mind of the artist.” Are artists different to regular people? Are their minds more enigmatic?
I don’t think I would generalise aritsts as ‘different’ to ‘regular’ people. When I gathered the four artists together I felt their practice reflected an intuitive, curios and playful approach to their work. There is definitely a mysterious quality to their work however I wouldn’t go as far to label them as ‘more enigmatic’ than any other person.

Did you decide on the curatorial concept and then the artists or did artists you were interested in inspire the concept?
The concept of the exhibition began with my interest in recent work I had seen during 2011. As I began to collate my list I found strong parallels between the artists I had chosen. I didn’t feel the need to enforce a strong thematic to the exhibition, rather, I allowed the concept to develop organically. I want the work to speak for itself and give the audience the opportunity to negotiate the multiple interpretations brought forward by their work.

Say [featured artists] David Capra, Charles Dennington, Hossein Ghaemi and Mattew Tumbers were all unavailable for this show, but, somehow (magically) you were able to curate any artists from history instead. Who would they be?
I’m not too sure, I guess if they were unavailable for the exhibition the concept may never have existed. But if I had to select artists from an older generation I would probably be interested in the work of Mikala Dwyer, Maurizio Cattelan, Mike Kelley and Hany Armanious. I like each of their practices, so perhaps there is an exhibition within that selection.

Without spoiling too much, could you share something for us to get excited about before opening night?
I can reveal there will be a dancing pole.

What: Exhibition, Wunder Pond
Who: Artists David Capra, Charles Dennington, Hossein Ghaemi and Mattew Tumbers, curated by Sandra Di Palma
Where: Tin Sheds Gallery, 148 City Rd, University of Sydney
When: 10 February – 10 March 2012. OPENING NIGHT: Thursday 9 Feb, 6-8 pm.