New exhibition in SAM Children's Gallery, Vera Möller's Liquidarium is set to open this Saturday 14 May 2022.

SAM is pleased to present Liquidarium, 2022, a new artwork commission in the Children’s Gallery by artist Vera Möller. Liquidarium, an installation environment combining collage and sculpture, draws inspiration from the vibrant ecology of the wetlands of the Goulburn Valley.

In her exhibition, Möller has brought to life a fantastical freshwater landscape. Children are invited to experience a wetland imagined from the point of view of a small frog, living amongst the exaggerated plant forms that have been dramatically increased in size by the artist. Large-scale collages and hundreds of smaller, plant-like sculptures in weird and wonderful colours and patterns will inhabit the space to create an experience that will get the imagination of young minds running wild.

Möller is motivated by a fascination with the slippery boundaries between the real and the imagined in the natural world. Her inspiration for this exhibition was found on field trips into the freshwater environments of Victoria Park Lake and the Goulburn River, situated on the doorstep of SAM. Möller's “fantasy specimens”, constructed from recycled magazines and modelling clay, are the results of her science background and art practice merging through creative studio experiments.

Jessica O’Farrell, SAM Exhibitions Curator, says of the show:

“Vera has created a space for kids to step into and experience a wetland from the unique perspective of a frog. The Liquidarium environment is a complete 3D fantasy world, but it is reminiscent of the dioramas you would typically find in Natural History Museums. This exhibition encourages children and adults alike to be curious, triggers our imagination of what lives in a natural ecosystem and prompts us venture into the freshwater environments that lay just outside SAM.”

The community will also have the opportunity to contribute to the exhibition, with hands-on workshops being conducted in the space through the duration of the show. Kids and the young at heart are invited to go wild with their imagination and create their own Liquidarium-inspired flora and fauna display. The workshops will run as an all day, drop-in opportunity once a month for the duration of the show, beginning on Sunday 29 May from 11am. The activities are open to visitors of all ages, with all materials supplied by SAM. The dates of the workshops will be published on the SAM website and social media channels.

Vera Möller’s Liquidarium will open on Saturday 14 May 2022 and will run until 30 October 2022.

About Vera Möller:
Vera Möller (b. 1955, Breman, Germany; lives and works Naarm/Melbourne) studied Biology, Microbiology and Theology in Wurzburg and Munich before immigrating to Australia in 1986. After moving to Australia she completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at the Victorian College of the Arts and a PhD at Monash University. Her work has been exhibited in the USA, Japan, Finland, France, Germany and the UK, as well as throughout Australia.

Drop-in programs for kids at SAM – May, June and July – no bookings required:
Sunday 29 May 11am to 3pm                                                                                                  Monday 20 June 11am to 3pm
Tuesday 19 July 11am to 3pm
More dates to be announced soon.

ENDS

About SAM:
Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) is one of Australia's outstanding regional art museums, showcasing our exhibitions and collections in new and exciting ways and creating a welcoming, inclusive and engaging space for all audiences. Artists are central to our work. Our programming is designed to be locally relevant and engage with global contemporary ideas. SAM is recognised for its significant Australian ceramics collection, and our nationally significant collection of Indigenous art. As the only public art museum in Greater Shepparton and north central Victoria, our mission is to present great art in Shepparton, and to contribute to the cultural enrichment, community engagement and economic prosperity of the region.

Media enquiries, please contact: Mikela Guseli, Marketing Officer, SAM
p: (03) 4804 5009 e: mguseli@sheppartonartmuseum.com.au