Presence of Mind interviews and reviews

abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-art-show


The Arts Show Radio National - with Daniel Browning

The Art of Mindfulness

"... Forget wine and cigarettes – how does mindfulness stimulate artists? Cindy Chen and Lachlan Warner are two artists whose Buddhist practice is foundational to their creativity. Curators Kath Fries and Rachael Kiang have included them in a new exhibition exploring the hot topic of mindfulness and meditation, called Presence of Mind ..."


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abc.net.au/radionational/programs/soul-search


Soul Search - with with Dr Meredith Lake

Remembering Thich Nhat Hanh: Founder of engaged Buddhism and father of mindfulness

"To many around the world he is best known as the father of mindfulness – he is credited for introducing the Buddhist practice to the West, and popularising it. Thich Nhat Hanh passed away on 22 January 2022, and this program explores the life and legacy of the renowned Zen master, monk, poet, peace activist, teacher and global spiritual leader. Hear from Brother Phap Hai, the most senior western monk in the Plum Village tradition who has been playing a key role in the memorial ceremonies in Vietnam. Also, Walter Mason, a mindfulness teacher who has visited Vietnam more than 20 times and went on a retreat in Hong Kong led by Thich Nhat Hanh. From the archives, we have Thich Nhat Hanh himself, and students Sister Chan Khong, Stephanie Kaza and Roshi Joan Halifax.

Then, an invitation to contemplation with Rachael Kiang and Dr Kath Fries, curators of the Presence of Mind exhibition at Gallery Lane Cove in Sydney. The exhibition explores the connection between mindfulness and creativity, and is open to the public until February 26 or online."


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artshub.com.au/news/article/exhibition-review-presence-of-mind

ArtsHub - Exhibition review


Upasana Papadopoulos 
16 Feb 2022

"... Presence of Mind documents the diversity of personal interactions with Buddhist wisdom, ‘engaged Buddhism’, familial and cultural memory, mindfulness practices and empathic interconnection. It formulates an important reflection of the enormous reverberation that Buddhist dharma has had on an ostensibly materialistic, atheistic westernised culture.

Buddhism rarely seeks to convert. It does not, in most traditions, claim to be a religion or a dogma, but rather it informs, flavours and engages with the questions we invariably confront within our lives. This exhibition provides its audience with an abundance of entry points from the perspectives of 13 artists, two curators and three guest writers.

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Sydney-based artist Kath Fries’ tender sculpture, Hold Dear, a magnolia branch, partially cast in bronze, brings to mind the Japanese practice of kintsugi in which ruptures or imperfections are considered to be part of the continuation of an object, rather than a mark of its demise. For Fries, the branch commemorates the passing of her father, marking her willingness to absorb the continuation of her relationship with him in whatever form it manifests, even if that means relinquishing the safety of what we think we know of the duality of life and death.

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https://inthecove.com.au/2022/02/14/

In The Cove - Presence of Mind

"... In a year of Covid lockdowns and associated mental health challenges, the need for mindfulness, interconnectedness and peace is so important. Gallery Lane Cove's current exhibition is Presence of Mind. It’s is a digital residency and exhibition project that centres on mindfulness and other aspects of Buddhist practices in the works of visual artists in Australia and Singapore. Mindfulness, interconnectedness and peace are all central to Buddhist thought and practice. 

It’s the first exhibition of its kind in Sydney, it looks at how key elements of Buddhist practice informs the creative process of artists from varied cultures of two countries and how that has been translated into secular life. Curated from the perspectives of two Buddhist practitioners, the exhibition uncovers how elements of Buddhism permeate the practices of different artists from diverse backgrounds. For Buddhist artists, mindfulness is foundational to their creative processes and can take many forms, from embodied processes to playful humour, as well as technological and traditional motifs..."  


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gallerylanecove.com.au/presence-of-mind

Virtual Gallery 
Presence of Mind - Gallery Lane Cove

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