David Rosetzky: Air to Atmosphere

David Rosetzky, Air to Atmosphere is an interdisciplinary project made in collaboration with members of the LGBTQIA+ community on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Central Victoria, commissioned by Castlemaine Art Museum.

Stemming from a series of in-depth conversations Rosetzky initiated with participants, the project unfolds through photography, video, choreography, performance, songwriting, poetry, publishing and social encounter – exploring the diversity, trauma, resilience, and pride of the local LGBTQIA+ community.

Renowned for his multi-disciplinary and collaborative practice, Rosetzky slowly and gently sought out LGBTQIA+ artists, writers, lyricists and performers in a region known for its predominance of both practicing artists and LGBTQIA+ community. What is clear is that the LGBTQIA+ community is made up of myriad individuals, who may or may not identify as ‘a community’. Stepping forward to work with Rosetzky, even in such an open region, takes courage and confidence. Meanwhile, throughout the making of this work, a trickle of press reports continues to identify violence and stigma experienced by LGBTQIA+ people across regional and rural Australia.

True collaboration is a key aspect of Rosetzky’s work―not just in the forming of content and meaning but also in the crafted execution of the work―a practice that is perhaps more akin to filmmaking than traditional art.

Air to Atmosphere features Paul Allen, Colin Cameron, Aimee Chapman, Sherene Clow, Rhett D’Costa, Lz Dunn, Harley Dunolly-Lee, Aloyziouz Falcon, Sky Falcon, Stephen Goldsmith, Terence Jaensch, Mitch Nivalis, Casey Rice, Anna Schwann, Alison Shirley, Phillip Siggins, Eden Swan, Louise Terry, Chris Wheat, Paul Williams and Ocean Wolff, all of whom worked with Rosetzky to embody their stories.

In the video Air to Atmosphere, participants go about their everyday lives, talk to camera and perform choreographed movements devised by Jo Lloyd to a song written by local music collective &so and shot on the streets of Castlemaine. Lyrics from &so’s original song ‘Deep Kissing Under Siege’ were drawn from the participants’ interviews, as well as sections from a sonnet by Terence Jaensch, thus reflecting the cross-pollination that occurred throughout the project.

Rosetzky’s still portraits document collaborations via the camera. In the accompanying exhibition publication these portraits are presented alongside interview excerpts that represent different aspects of each participant’s identity, thoughts, opinions and selves. These excerpts form street posters pasted up in the gallery and around Castlemaine.

Rosetzky turns his prodigious skill and deep intuition towards what might be considered a documentary enquiry with a creative outcome. And herein lies his remarkable achievement, to weaken the seemingly stark distinction between art and documentary.

Exhibition Publication
Produced on the occasion of the exhibition, the publication extends Rosetzky’s collaborations with the local community. Published by Sonntag Press, it features conversation transcripts, original song lyrics, a newly commissioned essay by art historian Professor Anne Marsh and poems by Terence Jaensch, alongside full-colour reproductions of the video stills and portraits. Edition of 250. Available for purchase here.

Exhibition Microsite
Click here to view the accompanying website for Air to Atmosphere, featuring David Rosetzky's photographic portraits and long-form interviews with participants.

David Rosetzky
David Rosetzky is an artist who is passionate about finding new ways to represent LGBTQIA+ and marginal identities through an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to art making. Often working with practitioners from the fields of theatre, dance, and film, he creates videos, installations and photographic works that question whether our identity is informed by how others see us, or how we see ourselves.

With an extensive exhibition history both in Australia and overseas, Rosetzky has presented his work in over 30 solo exhibitions and 60 group exhibitions. His Portrait of Cate Blanchett (2008), commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, was exhibited in The Third ICP Triennial of Photography and Video at the International Centre for Photography, New York. His works are held in numerous collections including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, National Portrait Gallery, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and Monash Gallery of Art.

Terrace Projections
Through the Australian Government's RISE Fund, Castlemaine Art Museum will host Terrace Nights and Terrace Projections, a program of exhibitions, installations and events for the community. Using the medium of light, CAM is bringing contemporary images and ideas to the streets of Castlemaine. In a series of commissions, local and national artists will respond to a range of relevant topics such as car culture, First Nations and queer communities, industry, incarceration and youth.

A section of David Rosetzky's video work, Air to Atmosphere, will be viewable from the museum's façade every evening at dusk, from 24 March—14 June 2023.

Public Programs
Free public programs, including artist floor talks and live performances, will be presented in the gallery throughout this exhibition. All details will be shared on our website. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive special updates and invitations.