Art Smitten

Art Smitten is bringing you a special episode on Art Criticism✍️🗞️ The team will be chatting about the importance and the impact of criticism of art in all forms, as well as our own views on how criticism effects our encounters with art. Plus, we are joined by art historian and critic Victoria Perin from Memo Review — a weekly independent art criticism platform running since 2017, to give us...

This episode of Art Smitten features our conversation with humanoid robot Pepper who is currently on display at the National Communication Museum in Hawthorn. Restored for their current exhibition ‘Friend’, we asked Pepper many pressing questions including if robots will take over the world… 😳😳 Jesse from NCM Studio also spoke with us about their role in robot restoration and...

Art Smitten is joined by Amy Spiers in this episode to discuss the ‘Archives Are Hot! Artists in the Archive’ program developed by Next Wave in collaboration with CAST, Saluhan and An. Other Collective.  Our presenter Tyra will also be sharing a review of Love Serenade (1996) directed by Shirley Barrett 📽️  Listen in to hear our discussion on what it means to be a socially en...

In this episode of Art Smitten, we are fortunate to be joined by artist Aisha Hara who recently had an exhibition at CAVES 🌼titled 'Green Age'. Aisha is a Japanese-Australian visual artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. She is interested in the intersections of painting and translation and her exhibition is a response to the poetics of spring as found in tanka poetry 🎐 We also had a discussion about...

For our first episode of season 4, the team is so excited to be speaking with two of the artists featured in KINGS current exhibition program. Ayah Zakout and Ebony Maurice-Wilmott joined us to share insights about their art practices and the works featured within their exhibitions.  @ayahzakout.jpeg   @ebony_maurice.wilmott   @kingsartistrun Season 4 of Art Smitten begins this Mond...

We are dishing up a real treat for you all 🍽️ this collaboration with our dear friends at Talk On Your Fork brings an episode focused on the intersection of food & art! To begin, Astra will be sharing their thoughts on the film ‘The Menu’ (2022) 🥣 PLUS for a real treat, we will be speaking to Gemma Leslie from @foodforeveryone.aus about her incredible project that pairs artists wi...

We are joined by photographer, artist and co-founder of the Pacific Centre for Photographic Arts Aishah Kenton in this episode of Art Smitten. Listen to hear all about the workshops and programs that PCPA facilitate along with Aishah’s own photographic art practice! In the second half of the show, the team review films seen in the final weeks of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIF...

Listen to our conversation with Kate Barber, cofounder of Spring1883, an art fair hosted inside the iconic Hotel Windsor on Spring Street 🏩 !  Within their own reserved room, gallerists uniquely display works by artists they represent in the unconventional hotel suites instead of the typical 'white cube' model characteristic of typical art fairs.  @spring1883 @synmedia Listen on Art Smi...

Tune in to hear an interview with Saluhan Collective collaborators MJ Flamiano and Catherine Ortega-Sandow about their current curatorial project Fugitive Archives !! 🏷️ The exhibition series examines the role of artist-led, community-based, and independent archives as transformative tools for collective organising and knowledge production.  The first show, Fugitive Archives: otherwise or els...

Maya Borjesson  @handclap joined us in the studio 🔊 for this episode of Art Smitten. Based in Naarm/Melbourne, Maya is a sound artist and architect who explores ambient music’s potential in evoking memories as well as sound’s relationship to architecture. We also briefly discuss the history of sound as an artform to contextualize our discussion around sound as an artistic medium!...

For our first episode of season 3, we are kicking things off with a discussion about the rise of AI in art 📟 Afrina asked local art students for their opinion on the use of AI and the team shared their own perception of the ever-changing tool and its place in creativity. Astra shares his review of the film ‘The Man Who Sleeps’ (1974) directed by Bernand Queysanne to wrap up this episo...

In this episode, we had a chat with FortyFiveDownstairs all about their annual Emerging Artist Award! 🏆We were fortunate to be joined by Felix Oliver, 2024 Winner, and learnt more about the process and story behind their winning piece 🙌 Listen in to hear details about the selection process and the aims of the award opportunity. @fortyfivedownstairs @felix0liver 🎧 Art Smitten airs on SYN 90.7fm...

This special episode features a panel discussion with @un_projects  (AU) and  @pilotmagazined (UK)  @ngvmelbourne for Melbourne Art Book Fair! 📚 We spoke about all things publications - finding out what it takes to create a lasting magazine in our increasingly digital age. This conversation took place live at 1–2pm on Sunday the 18th of May 🗓️ Moderated by Audrey Merton, Exec...

Jen and Zeta are joined by Alta Forma's Director Meredith Turnbull on this episode of Art Smitten. ⛓️ Located on St Kilda Rd, Alta Forma supports artists who work in expanded object and jewellery practices to create experimental and socially engaged projects. ⛓️‍💥 Listen in to hear about the specialties of curating object-based artworks and the vision for this space! @_altaforma_ @merecatu Ar...

For our final episode of season 1, we’re keen to chat with two writers who participated in the Mass Memo program in 2024! Mass Memo is an annual opportunity for young arts writers to review fine art, architecture and fashion graduate shows across Melbourne. Hosted by Memo 📝 it’s a wonderful chance for young graduates to be published - Jen and Audrey both participated in previous itter...

To kick off season 2, we spoke to curator Emmy Robinson-Shaw and artist Celline Mercado, featured in DEBUT XXI. At BLINDSIDE gallery, DEBUT is an annual project committed to fostering new talent by exhibiting works of recent graduates from Melbourne’s major art institutions. 🎨 We will also be airing a new interview segment by our presenter and editor Nic called Street Art! 🎙️ Nic spoke to A...

This episode we had a great chat with WET Collective about their exhibition at BLINDSIDE💦 ‘Cruising’ is a gallery activation playing with hospitality, the queer body and the illicit. WET will be providing a food service during the opening as well as two performances over the weekend. We are very thankful to have heard a bit more about this program and the artists involved— hope...

For our first episode of 2025, we are very excited to share with you our interview with artist, collector and curator Patrick Pound Patrick’s exhibition ‘The Museum of Falling’ was shown at City Gallery in the Melbourne Town Hall on Swanston St. Listen to hear them speak about the beginnings of this project, their artistic process and how they gained access to the City of Melbour...

In this episode, we spoke to Kirsty Grant and Trent Walter all about the founding and future of the new Melbourne Art Print Fair. Running from the 7th to the 9th of February,  @melbartprintfair Edition.1 was chock-full of amazing prints by local artists, highlighting print in its fine art form. Participating print studios and publishers included Baldessin Press, Kaleidoscope Editions, Megalo...

This episode we are joined by Melanie Oliver (Senior Curator) to discuss the current exhibition at MUMA - Image Economies 📽️ 🤳🏼 Image Economies traces how artists have used digital technologies over recent history, from exploring reproducibility and authenticity to the contemporary applications of AI and machine learning. Through a variety of mediums, the exhibiting artists explore themes of mat...

Join local arts and culture radio Art Smitten of SYN Media for an exclusive deep-dive into Blindside's history! Blindside is a long-standing artist-run initiative in the heart of our city, and we're keen to celebrate their 20th anniversary by giving you insight into Blindside’s foundations, and the creative community networks behind the gallery. Presented in two parts, these special segments...

Joining us in the studio for this episode of Art Smitten was Camilla Hannan, co-creator ‘The Waiting Room’ that premiered at The Capitol Theatre on November 9th, 2024. Along with Martine Corompt, these two artists united for a special one-off immersive theatrical event in ‘The Waiting Room’, where the audience will share the joy of anticipation, the pleasure of expectation,...

For our last interview of the 2024 season, we were joined by the new National Communication Museum (NCM). We spoke with Dr Emily Siddons, Co-CEO and Artistic Director of NCM, who told us all about their exciting new program and exhibitions. NCM showcases nostalgic communication artefacts, exploring how new and old technologies have changed our lives over the years. Art Smitten airs on SYN Radio 90...

Art Smitten airs on SYN Radio 90.7 FM SYN Media acknowledges and pays respect to the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands the SYN office and studios stand.  SYN and the Art Smitten team would like to further acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the Lands and Waters across Australia where our con...

In this episode we were fortunate to be joined by artist Rochelle Morris to talk about their exhibition at Trocadero Projects! ‘Turning Soil’ is an exploration of the potential of ecological art at a painterly scale. The use of organic materials within the exhibition open up a conversation on our relationship and responsibilities to nature and our environment. Art Smitten airs on SYN R...