Karla Dickens presents her first solo exhibition in the Hunter region.

A ‘lock-on’ is a powerful, non-violent civil disobedience tactic used by protesters–using bicycle locks, handcuffs and other DIY materials–to secure themselves in their place of protest.

Honouring the legacy of non-violent protest, Karla Dickens presents her first solo exhibition in Muloobinba/Newcastle for New Annual, a “lock-on at The Lock-Up”. Addressing themes of climate crises through ecofeminism, Locked On interrogates the legacies of colonialism, capitalism and patriarchy, and their effects on post-contact Aboriginal experiences and the natural world.

Part homage, part rallying cry, Locked On presents the artist’s politically charged and deeply personal assemblages, highlighting recent presentations such as Rise and Fall, the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial and Embracing Shadows, alongside new commissions for The Lock-Up.

Image: Installation view, Karla Dickens, Keeping It Together, 2022-25 (detail), mixed media including globes and found household materials. Courtesy the artist. Photograph by Lauren Moulton