An ACT Institute of Architects exhibition that investigates and encourages exchange between practitioners working across the diciplines of art and architecture, craft and design.

Image: Nikki Butlin, Seed Pod, ceramic media.

This exhibition features the work of architects, largely drawn from the ACT, who also engage in artistic practice either as professional artists or in a capacity which supports their architectural practice. In parallel the exhibition also features the work of artists that are informed by an architectural sensibility. The notion of bringing together architectural and artistic disciplines in this exhibition is a reflection of current interest and practice in both communities. This exhibition seeks to highlight the natural links and to celebrate and encourage further discourse and collaboration.

The artists participating in this exhibition have been selected for their artistic response to the natural and built environment. Whether describing a structure in a drawing, creating a piece of jewellery or a sculptural form, the artists reference particular qualities in their work. The elements of structure space, light and form are the uniting principles in the art work for this exhibition, which offers diverse interpretations both conceptually and technically across various disciplines.

The exhibition will celebrate the broad range of artwork which is in current practice linking these two fields in the local area of the ACT. The idea for this exhibition has been generated and supported by the ACT Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. The institute has recently held a very successful exhibition in the RAIA ACT Chapter in Forrest which was titled Out of the Storeroom  This exhibition featured architectural models and works of art by architects practicing both professionally and through personal interest.

The exhibition was held in October 2007 during Architecture Week. The feedback from this exhibition was very positive with a large number of architects and visitors expressing a desire for this to be an annual event. The institute is mounting the exhibition Space Form and Light in the ANCA Gallery to further the idea and encourage the links between the artistic and architectural disciplines.