Art of translation: exhibition speaks to the ‘hope and despair’ of human connection
Samstag Museum of Art’s Direct, Directed, Directly exhibition explores the pitfalls of communication to humours and poignant effect.
In a world inundated with information and diverse methods of communication, there is often a surprising lack of genuine connection. In response, group exhibition Direct, Directed, Directly offers humorous and insightful perspectives on how humans can be misunderstood and how words are often misinterpreted.
“The ideas behind Direct, Directed, Directly can be simplified down to the hope and despair in trying to communicate, with the humour and absurdity of our attempts inherently woven through,” says Gillian Brown, Acting Head Curator of Samstag Museum of Art.
Direct, Directed, Directly gathers a group of Australian and international artists who explore themes of language and communication through performance, moving image, installation, and sound.
Direct, Directed, Directly installation view. Photo: Sia Duff / Supplied
Several artists draw on their experiences of migrating to a new country and how that can lead to difficulties in communicating. One such artist is Chunxiao Qu, a Chinese-born artist and poet now based in Melbourne, whose impressive neon work, An Artist Doesn’t Need a Label, explores the complexities of language and what may be lost or gained in translation.
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Originally commissioned for the La Trobe Art Institute in 2022, the work features a series of her ‘logic poems’ displayed in LED neon. Influenced by conceptual artists such as Joseph Kosuth, Qu’s neon signs resemble street advertising commonly seen in the late-night entertainment districts of major cities. Composed in English and translated into Mandarin, the work reflects Qu’s experiences of moving back and forth between two cultures and languages.
Danielle Freakley combines performance, video and sculpture in her multi-faceted work, Please Say. Surrounded by a swirling black sea made of flexible resin are two microphones where people can ask each other to say whatever they wish using the cue “Please Say”. This give-and-take process allows participants to control and script their dialogue, encouraging a playful approach to communication and how we connect. Through her work, Freakley aims to enhance social interaction and cultivate human relationships. By taking home a wearable green strap, viewers can continue the Please Say method of communication with others who also wear the strap, fostering deeper connections.
An audience member participates in Danielle Freakley’s Please Say. Photo: Sia Duff / Supplied
Broken English, by Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman and Gurang Gurang artist and activist Richard Bell, presents a powerful exploration of Australian society, politics, and the art world that is both provocative and humourous. Part of Bell’s Imagining Victory trilogy, Broken English uses satire to pose challenging questions about Aboriginal sovereignty within the contexts of a chess game, a gallery opening and an Australia Day re-enactment of Captain Cook’s landing. While other works in the exhibition look at how communication might fail, Bell’s message is clear: as his friend and collaborator Gary Foley states in the video, Aboriginal people want, “Land rights, self-determination, economic independence. It’s as simple as that!”
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The prevalence of video work across Direct, Directed, Directly was a natural by-product of the curatorial premise.
“As a medium that incorporates time, movement, the visual and the aural, video lends itself particularly well to the concept of communication, whether through the act of speaking or more gestural and bodily forms of communicating,” Brown explains.
Other presentations include Kuba Dorabialski’s video work, Broken English is My Mother Tongue. Dorabialski started speaking broken English after moving from Poland to Australia as a young boy, and the work explores the concept of language adaptation and how he created a new way to be understood.
Madison Bycroft, still from The sauce of all order, 2025. Photo: Supplied
Marseille-based Adelaide expat Madison Bycroft presents The Sauce of All Order, a video work that looks at how we communicate with those who have superior status, and how much we should trust what they say. Christine Sun Kim and Thomas Mader’s, Tables and Windows looks at the complexities of communication across various formats.
To close out the exhibition’s season a performance piece by Adelaide-based Monte Masi will take place on Thursday May 29 at 6pm. Enlisting a cast of actors and clowns, Everybody’s Dream (had almost come true) sees Masi address the idea of consensus as a means of communication, and the challenges involved in achieving it.
Whether the artists communicate directly or direct how we communicate, they all explore how language and messaging can be misinterpreted, often leaving us misinformed. Through humorous musings, the exhibition highlights the importance of communication and how we often adapt it to be heard.
Direct, Directed, Directly continues until Friday May 30 2025 at Samstag Museum of Art