SURGE
2020, in Collaboration with artist Kate Disher-Quill
Surge was commissioned by Photo Australia and the Metro Tunnel Creative Program for photo 2021
Evolving over months of lockdown restrictions as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across Melbourne in 2020, Surge is a collective reflection of the nuanced and at times confronting experiences encountered by a diverse range of healthcare professionals.
In a time when photographic work was restricted and the healthcare worker experience was heavily politicised, Zoom conversations between the subjects and artists became central to developing the project using a collaborative, practice-led approach. A space to share stories and exchange ideas, these conversations became a means of catharsis and a place of connection for both the participants and artists.
In referencing the dichotomy between the clinical protocols of the pandemic and the vulnerability of the human experience, Surge combines the medical with the personal, to reveal and acknowledge our capacity to endure.
SURGE was installed on Metro Tunnel Hoarding on Swanston Street from Febuary 2021 to May 2021 as Part of PHOTO 2021 photography festival.
Thank you to the following participants of the project, for sharing their experiences, and more importantly for their ongoing work in keeping Victoria safe during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Julian Druce
Nicola Walsham
Michelle Ananda-Rajah
Rima Darwiche
Sebastian Duchene
Julie McAuley
Grace Carrol
Glenn Tarran
Tamishta Hensman
Patrtick Chee Fei tan
Claire McClen
David Story
