Michelle Eistrup, In the Deep Underground and Up Above (2017-18)
Rosie Halsmith
Artist: Michelle Eistrup Work: In the Deep Underground and Up Above(2017-18) Partner: Art Geo Cultural Complex Location: Busselton, Australia
Michelle Eistrup's project, In the Deep Underground and Up Above, considers the sharp cultural contrasts and ethical conflicts inherent between history, land and natural resources, as they relate to the Southwest region of Western Australia. Her work for North by Southeast also considers the contemporary differences in the lived realities of Aboriginal Australians and descendants of European settlers.
“The title has two meanings, one is of course, that he is talking to all Australians, the other is that country means other Aboriginal people. In this novel he confronts his history and the past. How he and other people were treated as inferior and through a racial terminology. I have seen these same ways of discounting one’s presence and mind in so many other stories of colonialism. I can see some of the same remnants of this attitude also in Denmark.” Michelle Eistrup
About the artist: Michelle Eistrup is a visual artist, who works primarily in video, photography and sound. She grew up in Jamaica, Paris and New York, and presently resides in Denmark with her family.
Her practice explores the history, legacies and denial/absence of colonialism, through four overarching themes: African diaspora identity and expression; politics of recognition; dynamics of isolationism; and embodied rites and rituals.
Rooted in a vibrant global arts community, she has exhibited internationally, and organised events that facilitate in-depth dialogue and research between artists, writers and curators. Eistrup has exhibited in art institutions and galleries in Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, like Arnolfini (London), Momentum Nordic Festival for Modern Art (Moss), Kuala Lumpur, Fine Art Museum (Malaysia), The Taitu Art Center (Ethiopia) and The National Art Gallery (Kingston, Jamaica). She has also participated in residencies in Sweden, Senegal, Kenya and Trinidad.
About our partner: The ArtGeo Cultural Complex is a multi-arts centre for the visual and performing arts housed in a precinct of heritage-listed buildings situated in the heart of Busselton.
Busselton is a regional, seaside city in the South West region of Western Australia. Founded in 1832, Busselton was one of the earliest settlements in Western Australia, and is today one of the fastest growing regions in Australia.