Cover image of the review
Dean Cross, Sad State (1962-2022) in Octopus 23: THE FIELD, curated by Tamsen Hopkinson. Presented at Gertrude Contemporary, 2023. Photo: Christian Capurro

Octopus 23: The Field


3 Jun 2023
Gertrude Contemporary 15 Apr - 11 Jun 2023

Entering Gertrude Contemporary, I am told by a member of the gallery’s staff that Nicola Blumenthal’s Silver Objects (2023) saw ten iterations before opening day. Ten iterations. I’m sorry you missed it, she tells me. I look up: the quiet menace of Ming Ranginui’s slay Belle (2022), a playfully violent axe-as-bow fashioned from satin, hangs above us, waiting to determine what might be eviscerated and what might be kept.

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