Buxton Contemporary launches the veil

A major new exhibition titled the veil has opened at Buxton Contemporary, presented by the University of Melbourne.

Running from June 27 to November 1, this ambitious show brings together a diverse group of artists whose work delves into the invisible and intangible forces that shape human experience – touching on themes of memory, identity, spirituality, and connection to place.

Curated by Hannah Presley with assistant curator Isabella Hone-Saunders, the veil showcases new commissions alongside recent additions to the University of Melbourne Art Collection.

The exhibition features works by Hayley Millar Baker, Hannah Gartside, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Glenda Nicholls, Lisa Waup, and Lena Yarinkura, inviting audiences to enter immersive environments where art becomes a portal to unseen realms.

“There have always been places described as transitional or strange – spaces that hum with energy, where the air feels thin and the light is dappled,” Ms Presley said.

“These uncanny or supernatural qualities echo throughout the exhibition, revealing an intimate familiarity with the spirit world that, for many artists, deeply informs their daily lives.”

“the veil opens up an expanded, inclusive worldview, navigating in-between spaces beyond the reach of ordinary perception, through the expression of culture, memory, and emotion.”

At the heart of the exhibition is Eternity the Butterfly, a major new film by Gunditjmara, Djabwurrung, and Nira-Bulok Taungurung artist Hayley Millar Baker, commissioned by the University of Melbourne with support from Creative Australia and Creative Victoria.

Shown alongside her earlier films Nyctinasty (2022) and The Umbra (2023), the work explores Indigenous spiritual inheritances and ancestral connections, framed through cinematic storytelling and a distinct psychological intensity.

Polish artist Aneta Grzeszykowska’s acclaimed Mama series also makes its Australian debut.

Originally exhibited at the 2022 Venice Biennale, these intimate photographs portray interactions between the artist’s daughter and a lifelike silicone replica of herself.

Simultaneously unsettling and poignant, the series questions the boundaries of identity, motherhood, and loss.

Also on view for the first time is The Reflection Net by master weaver Glenda Nicholls, a new acquisition for the University.

Suspended high above the gallery floor, the work is a celebration of cultural knowledge, women’s roles in fishing traditions, and the interconnectedness of all life.

Melbourne-based artist Hannah Gartside presents both new and existing sculptural works spanning a decade.

One standout is Sarah, a kinetic sculpture created in honour of French actress Sarah Bernhardt.

Returning, a new work, continues a narrative exploring personal transformation through fabric and form.

Lisa Waup’s holding Country, an installation of 365 printed sandbags created in response to a major flood, highlights environmental degradation and personal resilience.

The work reimagines the sandbag as a vessel for memory and collective responsibility.

Arnhem Land artist Lena Yarinkura contributes new fibre-based sculptures including Karrh (Spider) and works recounting the story of the Rainbow Serpent.

Her intricate forms, woven from traditional materials, give shape to ancestral narratives while pushing the boundaries of contemporary fibre art.

“Featuring a major new commission from Hayley Millar Baker as well as recent University art collection acquisitions, the exhibition sees a rich array of works – from photography and film to fibre art, printmaking and sculpture – offering unique perspectives and deep engagements with the otherworldly.”

buxtoncontemporary.com •