Art Destinations

Ep 4: Troy Ruffels on making atmospheres

We are in conversation with Troy Ruffels, a photomedia artist drawing on the tradition of painting and drawing, to make works that are both immersive and atmospheric. Troy incorporates the elements of fire and water into his daily routine from pre-dawn ocean swims to evening fire pits, creating a discipline for his art practice.
As a country boy growing up in Forth on Tasmania’s north-west coast, Troy’s career was launched at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Primavera exhibition for emerging artists in 1997. Since then he has continued his exploration of boundaries: through the mediums he uses or the poetic language to evoke the atmosphere of weather. Troy lectures at the University of Tasmania’s School of Creative Art, Inveresk and is represented by Bett Gallery in Hobart.
You can see Troy’s work on our Instagram page @artdestinations.podcast.
Troy would like to take a moment to correct an error he made during a recent conversation for Art Destinations. While discussing key individuals involved in the Digital Art Research Facility, he mistakenly referred to Mary Knights. The correct name is Mary Scott who was key participant in this research project. Troy is sorry for the oversight. Mary Scott was an invaluable part of this project, and he would like to ensure their contribution is fully recognised. He sincerely apologises for any confusion caused and appreciate your understanding.

Ep 3: Collaborating for Conservation with Matthew Newton

Matthew Newton, an accomplished photojournalist and cinematographer, has spent 25 years capturing Tasmania's rich environmental landscapes. Matt discusses his unique career path, starting as a whitewater kayaker before delving into photography and filmmaking. He shares insights into his collaborative projects, including documenting Tasmania's wilderness and history, and how his work with writers, artists and conservationists has brought stories of the natural world to life.
 
We also explore major projects working with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and some of  the nation's leading artists on arts project The Skullbone Plains Experiment and with scientists on Albatross Island, highlighting how visual storytelling and partnerships have raised awareness about Tasmania’s hidden wonders.
 
Through his unique experiences, Matt reveals the transformative power of film and photography in promoting environmental conservation and bridging connections between people and places.

Ep 2: Jeff Malpas thinking on thinking

We are thinking about thinking with one of the world leading philosophers on place Jeff Malpas in Hobart. We question where and how one can do their best thinking, the roles of centre and periphery in the evolution of ideas, how the zeitgeist actually works, and the highly influential role our childhood has on how we think as adults.

Ep 1: Zoe Grey's shifting perspectives on belonging

In the first episode of Art Destinations Tasmania, we sit down with 28-year-old abstract artist Zoe Grey, whose work is profoundly influenced by her upbringing in the remote town of Marrawah on Tasmania's wild west coast. Working in the field of painting, as well as drawing, collage and ceramics, Zoe uses abstraction to portray the rugged rocks, fierce winds and booming swell on the northwest edge of Tasmania.
Zoe shares her unique perspective on what it was like growing up surrounded by the powerful forces of nature, from the relentless Southern Ocean waves to the isolation of rural life. She discusses how surfing has not only been a way of life but also a crucial part of her identity, deeply intertwined with her art. We also explore her recent residency in Svalbard, near the Arctic, comparing the raw, rugged environments of Tasmania and the far north.
Zoe’s work The Shape of Rock (2024) has just won one of the most lucrative art awards in Australia, the Hadley’s Art Prize, worth $100,000. The annual acquisitive art prize is awarded to the most outstanding portrayal of the Australian landscape. In an unusual twist of fate, Zoe won the Hadleys Packing Room prize only days earlier testifying the strength of the work. Zoe is being shown at Sydney Contemporary 2024 between 5 - 8 September by the James Makin Gallery and she is represented by Despard Gallery in Hobart.
 
On our Instagram page @artdestinations.podcast, you can see the prize winning work The Shape of Rock, other works and pictures of her childhood in Marrawah.
In the first episode of Art Destinations Tasmania, we sit down with 28-year-old abstract artist Zoe Grey, whose work is profoundly influenced by her upbringing in the remote town of Marrawah on Tasmania's wild west coast. Working in the field of painting, as well as drawing, collage and ceramics, Zoe uses abstraction to portray the rugged rocks, fierce winds and booming swell on the northwest edge of Tasmania.
Zoe shares her unique perspective on what it was like growing up surrounded by the powerful forces of nature, from the relentless Southern Ocean waves to the isolation of rural life. She discusses how surfing has not only been a way of life but also a crucial part of her identity, deeply intertwined with her art. We also explore her recent residency in Svalbard, near the Arctic, comparing the raw, rugged environments of Tasmania and the far north.
Zoe’s work The Shape of Rock (2024) has just won one of the most lucrative art awards in Australia, the Hadley’s Art Prize, worth $100,000. The annual acquisitive art prize is awarded to the most outstanding portrayal of the Australian landscape. In an unusual twist of fate, Zoe won the Hadleys Packing Room prize only days earlier testifying the strength of the work. Zoe is being shown at Sydney Contemporary 2024 between 5 - 8 September by the James Makin Gallery and she is represented by Despard Gallery in Hobart.
 
On our Instagram page @artdestinations.podcast, you can see the prize winning work The Shape of Rock, other works and pictures of her childhood in Marrawah.

Ep 8: Challenging tradition in a changing climate with Lorenzo Barbasetti di Prun

Lorenzo Barbasetti di Prun is a chef who challenges Italy’s culinary traditions by responding to climate change. Lorenzo trained in Fine Arts, at IUAV University of Venice, and is now pursuing gastronomy with a focus on foraging in diverse landscapes like London, the Dolomites, and the Venetian lagoon.
In this last episode of the Venice season, Lorenzo discusses foraging's role in adapting to climate change by reintroducing edible, salt-loving plants to abandoned farmlands, as part of his project The Tidal Garden.
 
In this episode we cover:
The Tidal Garden: Lorenzo's initiative with colleagues Filippo Grassi and Lodovica Guarnieri. It aims to revitalise saline soils by planting sea fennel and similar plants.
Cultural Adaptation: Educating chefs and the public about these plants to reconnect them with their local landscapes.
Tradition vs. Innovation: Lorenzo argues that rigid culinary traditions can stifle cultural and biological diversity. He emphasises the need for tradition to adapt and evolve.
Personal Journey: Lorenzo's background in visual arts and gastronomy. His experiences foraging in the Dolomites, Australia, and London have shaped his approach to food and ecology.
Challenges and Future Plans: Expanding the Tidal Garden project, increasing community involvement, and promoting sustainable agriculture in the Venetian lagoon and beyond.
 

Ep 7: Photographer Davide Degano questions what it means to be Italian

Photographic artist Davide Degano started to question what it means to be Italian while studying photography at The Hague. Davide started a project focusing on the people living in Friuli, where he grew up in  northern Italy, near the border of Slovenia.
In the project 'Sclavanie' (2021), Davide started to investigate how people living in this border town see themselves and how they are perceived. The word sclavanie is a derogatory term for Italian people with Slovenian descent. His work expanded into the project 'Romanzo Meticcio' (2024) which means ‘mixed novel’ to look at what does it mean to be Italian against the backdrop of Italy’s fascist history.
As someone who was born in Sicily, with Columbian and Slovenian grandparents, identity has always been multi-dimensional. His grandmother Olga was born in Slovenia. By the time she was 20, the same land had become Italy. One hundred and fifty years ago, Sicily was part of the Spanish Empire, and not long before that it was part of the Ottoman Empire. Through his work, Davide started to reflect on his ancestry what that means in a post-colonial world.

Ep 6: Psychotherapy between Venice and Nuvola Ravera

Nuvola Ravera examines how human emotions can influence the environment through her project, If I Cry A Lot, Will the Lagoon Become a Sea?' (2016). In this project, Nuvola collaborates with gestalt psychotherapist Laura Castellani to view Venice as a patient in a psychotherapy session. Nuvola uses 3D sculptures, frottages, and sound recordings to capture the essence of Venice, alongside the verbatim transcript between Laura, Nuvola and the city.
 
In this episode of Art Destinations, Sarah and Nuvola discuss the themes of collaboration, fluid boundaries, and site-specific work, emphasising the importance of listening as we move through the world. Nuvola shares her experiences working with various professionals and how these collaborations shape her artistic practice.

Ep 5: Washer women in the Venice rivulets with Carolina Mazzolari

Carolina Mazzolari, an acclaimed Italian textile and video artist, honours the legacy of women who ran public laundries in the project Alone Together. Collaborating with Royal Ballet dancer and choreographer Kristen McNally and Royal Opera House senior costume manager Ilaria Martello, Carolina connects viewers to the invisible world of domestic labour through stunning video projections and tapestries on Venice's streets and in the Domus Civica Gallery, San Polo.
Growing up as the youngest daughter of a Milanese perfumer, Carolina's art is deeply influenced by the magic of illusion and connection, to make her artwork a sensory experience.
I met Carolina through Alfio Puglisi, co-producer of Art Destinations and director of the Sicily Art Residency Program, who helped bring this extraordinary exhibition, Alone Together, to Venice, in July last year.
 
 
 
In this episode we cover:
how Alone Together uses dance, video and tapestry to share the story of the women who worked in public laundries in Venice’s rivulets, and in canals across Italy,
 
the video was projected onto sheets hanging in the streets of Venice, outside, as well as inside the Domus Civica Gallery, San Polo, Venice,
 
themes of collaboration and womanhood emphasise the collective power and energy generated when women work together,
 
the historical significance of washerwomen in Italy and their communal labour,
 
Carolina’s artistic journey from working in factories as a fashion designer to becoming an artist working with tapestry, embroidery, video, dance, and site-specific installations, and
 
Carolina’s personal influences growing up surrounded by women and being inspired by their stories and strength, and the influence of her father's work as a perfumer on her appreciation for illusion and sensory experiences in art.
 
BIOGRAPHY
Carolina Mazzolari (b. 1981 Milan/London) uses psychoanalysis and intuition to reveal emotional experience. Her artistic practice spans textiles, printing, painting, photography, video, and performance. Carolina’s hand-embroidery and painted maps are characterised by distinctive silver-grey stitchwork that interacts with light, creating shifting depths and luminous illusions. 
Each map exudes an intimate quality, as the artist has spent countless hours physically interacting with the fabrics. The resulting maps resemble mandalas, conveying love, hesitation, awe, and struggle through a personal language, alluding to deeper human motifs.
Carolina collaborates with 'Fine Cell Work,' a UK-based registered charity that employs and rehabilitates long-sentenced inmates through embroidery, to create the largest hand-sewn works.
Carolina's video and textile work are part of the permanent collection at MONA Museum in Tasmania, Australia, and have been featured in significant exhibitions. Carolina was born in Milan, Italy and currently lives with her family in London.