Ames Yavuz doubles down on Sydney

It has been announced that Sydney will be welcoming a second Ames Yavuz space this month, with the international gallery selecting an impressive premises in Surry Hills to expand its Australian footprint. Not too far from its current space on Reservoir Street, this development will give the gallery ample opportunity to host works from its diverse stable of artists, as well as presentations of contemporary works from artists around the globe.

This news comes hot on the heels of a rebrand for the gallery, which changed its name to include both gallery founder Can Yavuz’s and CEO Glen Ames’ surnames, a tribute to the importance of their partnership – both professional and personal.

“We are thrilled to be opening a second space in the heart of Sydney and are excited to grow this cornerstone of our ambitious global program”, says Yavuz. “This new space continues our commitment to the region and to the incredible artists and audiences in Australia.”

Ames Yavuz’ London-based Director Ananya Mukhopadhyay will be the first to take advantage of the space, curating a presentation of contemporary and historic films and video installations. MEMORY/MYTH will display works by 26 artists, and include 20 works that have yet to be shown in Australia. Exhibited artists include Donovan Wylie and Peter Man with Blinded by the very force it imagined it could handle, Portuguese artist Monica de Miranda’s The Island (A Ilha), and the Indonesian collective Tromarama.

“MEMORY/MYTH is a program of films and video installations borne from a conversation between kindred spirits — authors united by their shared inheritance of landscapes and stories ravaged by the imperial project”, says Mukhopadhyay.” The extensive lacunae in such histories are visited by these artists as sites for both mourning and discovery, while also being generative spaces for myth-making, fantasy and the curative contemplation of possible futures.”

Sydney-siders should look out for upcoming shows featuring Abdul Abdullah, Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan, Guido Maestri, Kawayan de Guia, Caroline Rothwell, and Vincent Namatjira OAM.

Ames Yavuz’s Commonwealth Street gallery will open Friday 14 June, and MEMORY/MYTH will run until Saturday 6 July.