Inside Out
Biological Psychiatric Australia conference, Melbourne, October 2019
Australasian Neuroscience Society conference, Adelaide, December 2019
Headpiece: 80/20, EEG cap, cardboard, acrylic paint, varnish, pens, yarns, sequins, pearls, wire, plastic tubing, bike helmet, cottons and battery lights, 40 x 80 cm
Bodice: Bayesian Brain, knitted wool, bias binding, fabric pen, battery lights, 60 x 40 cm
Skirt: Dopamine Pathways, embroidered organza, bias binding, tulle, cottons and battery lights, 3500 x 40 x 50 cm
Inside Out typifies and extends Zantis' ongoing, intimate exploration of human biology and psychology from mythological and metaphysical perspectives. The skin as an organ and the breath as a medium form an intersectional focal point for dissecting and examining representations of the self. Neurochemistry, conditional probability and new research into the experience of psychosis invite discussions of internal experiences versus external perceptions, transcending and affirming Zantis’ previous exhibitions, Internal Landscapes (2018-19) and Theatrical Perceptions (2016). The quintessence of Zantis’ oeuvre – that is, the unspoken wisdom of unseen phenomena – continues to catch the considered attention of pioneering professionals and the curious general public alike.
Zantis’ trademark tungsten fairy lights recall Garrido’s expression of ‘poetry in science,’ of ideas, “glimmering and glistening like grains of gold in a swirling gold pan,” and, indeed, Zantis’ invitation into, and activation of, the scientific community is a Gold Rush of beauty and discovery.
Photography by @novablooming