Seasons of Birth Opening

21 Nov 2016 - by

Approximately 70 people attended the Seasons of Birth exhibition opening on Sunday November 13 at the chapel at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACC&C).

This exhibition invited 15 Australian contemporary visual artists to respond to the process of human birth.

The afternoon began with a curators' tour by Rev'd Dr Doug Purnell and Mr Lachlan Warner before the Chorus of Women sang Canticle of Night. ACC&C Director Rt Rev'd Professor Stephen Pickard formally opened the event.

Professor Pickard spoke about how art offers a mode of insight into the meaning of things and calls people to contemplative consciousness through which people discover what is beyond us and awaiting response.

Mrs Thea Pickard reflected on the artworks as a mother who only recently gave birth.

'In the Moment of Birth I feel that visceral connection with my own body, both the ugliness and the beauty that comes with full acceptance of being a physical being,' she said.

Mrs Lynlea Rodger who has a background in management and theology, spoke about how birthings bring times of disruption, risk and fear and it can be tempting to feel overwhelmed.

'As I see it, what each of these pictures conveys to us in different ways is the pregnancy of uncertainties. Each of them offers the possibility of an account of the coming-into-being of things new,' she said.

Chorus of Women finished the afternoon's activities with two further songs around the theme of peace.

Seasons of Birth is open until Saturday November 26 at the Chapel on the cnr of Kings Avenue and Blackall Street. Open times are 10-4pm Mon – Fri. There are extended opening hours on Wednesday November 23 from 10 – 7pm.  The Exhibition is opened on Saturday November 26 from 1 – 7.30pm with Chorus of Women singing at 6pm-7pm followed by supper.