FREE | Friday Art Talks | Wear & Tear | Floral Alien with Simeran Maxwell
Schedule
Fri Mar 06 2026 at 02:00 am to 02:45 am
UTC+11:00Location
Parkes Place East, Canberra, ACT, Australia, Australian Capital Territory 2600 | Canberra, CT
This March, we unpick the theme of Wear and Tear, revealing the stories, inspiration and cultural significance of the items that adorn us, uncovering how time, use and the body leave their mark.Curator Australian Art, Simeran Maxwell unveils the artistry behind Karina Akopyan’s provocative full body costume Floral Alien. The work, a collaboration with designer-maker Monika Bereza, comprises eight pieces of hand- painted embroidered leatherwork designed to envelope the entire body.
Drawing on Akopyan’s Russian and Armenian heritage, Floral Alien juxtaposes traditional folk art with contemporary subcultures of music, dance, performance, club culture and fetish, and was propelled to fame in a music video featuring pop icon, Lady Gaga.
Join Simeran to uncover the ideas, materials and influences behind the work, including Akopyan’s talent for blending folk art with contemporary global political messages, combining ideas of power with fantasy.
Where is it happening?
Parkes Place East, Canberra, ACT, Australia, Australian Capital Territory 2600
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