From 17 November 2017 until 12 March 2018 Palace of the Republic will be transforming NGV Australia at Federation Square into an immersive and surreal landscape with more than 100 colourful sculptures. It will feature a series of eight large-scale collapsible paper sculptures inspired by the structure of honeycomb, created by Louise Paramor who first pioneered the paper sculpture technique in Berlin in 1999.
Each of the works is created by hand through a meticulous process of cutting and gluing layers of paper and then pulling the works 360 degrees around a central axis to form a voluminous, boldly-coloured object. Once unfolded the works stand monumentally at over three metres tall.
The title of this exhibition – and Paramor’s new series – refers to the now demolished seat of the German Democratic Republic, Palast der Rebublik, a socialist building which was situated opposite the Baroque-era Berlin City Palace. Paramor’s works reference both the pragmatism of modernist architecture and the ornateness of the Baroque, creating an absurd marriage between grandeur and pragmatism.
Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV, said, ‘Louise Paramor’s practice is at once playful and intellectual, often providing a thoughtful comment on design and architecture. Louise’s latest body of work, Palace of the Republic, creates a sense of wonder for the viewer through its bold colours and impressive scale’. The Palace of the Republic works relate to a series of existing colourful plastic sculptures, a large number of which will also be on display in the exhibition. These plastic sculptures, which range in height from 20 centimetres through to three metres, highlight the past ten years of Paramor’s practice and are divided into five distinct sections that reflect her exuberant sense of play and experimentation with colour, volume and scale.
Where: NGV Australia at Federation Square, Melbourne, VIC
When: 17 November 2017 – 12 March 2018
Cost: Free