Lauren Brincat, When do I breathe?, 2024, documentation of a performative score. Courtesy the artist. Photography: Zan Wimberley.

When do I breathe? by artist Lauren Brincat is the first exhibition inspired by the 2024 public performance of the same title by the artist, which shaped new paths through the streets of Sydney, connecting communities in collaborative action. The Lock-Up will present the film, fabric sculptures, and sound installation of the performance—making the presentation a performative structure and whole-of-exhibition experience.

When do I breathe? was the result of a year-long engagement with local Randwick communities by the artist, including local dancers, the NSW Collegium Musicum Choir and NIDA students and alumni, offering an artistic response to the value of care in our society. The performance and resulting film presented at The Lock-Up explores a collective artistic action as a form of resistance, and the work aims to empower the community to come together and reclaim public space. Timed at the intersection between the end of a working day and the beginning of a working night, it brings together local communities that are often separated by different shifts and daily rhythms.

Opening event: Friday 28 February 2025