Palace of the Republic opens at the NGV

Featuring a series of eight large-scale collapsible paper sculptures inspired by the structure of honeycomb, the major solo exhibition Louise Paramor: Palace of the Republic has transformed NGV Australia into an immersive and surreal landscape of more than 100 colourful sculptures.

Commissioned by the NGV especially for this exhibition, the Palace of the Republic series of works employ a unique ‘honeycomb’ paper sculpture technique that Paramor first pioneered in Berlin in 1999. Each work is created by hand through a meticulous process of cutting and gluing layers of paper. The works are then pulled 360 degrees around a central axis to form a voluminous, boldly-coloured object. Once unfolded like a concertina, the monumentally sized works stand over three metres tall.

The title of this exhibition – and Paramor’s new series – refers to the now demolished seat of the German Democratic Republic, Palast der Rebublik, a socialist building which was situated opposite the Baroque-era Berlin City Palace. Paramor’s works reference both the pragmatism of modernist architecture and the ornateness of the Baroque, creating an absurd marriage between grandeur and pragmatism.

Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV, said, “Louise Paramor’s practice is at once playful and intellectual, often providing a thoughtful comment on design and architecture. Louise’s latest body of work, Palace of the Republic, creates a sense of wonder for the viewer through its bold colours and impressive scale”.

The Palace of the Republic works relate to a series of existing colourful plastic sculptures, a large number of which will also be on display in the exhibition. These plastic sculptures, which range in height from twenty centimetres through to three metres, highlight the past ten years of Paramor’s practice and are divided into five distinct sections that reflect her exuberant sense of play and experimentation with colour, volume and scale.

Louise Paramor: Palace of the Republic is one of five solo exhibitions by leading Australian artists for NGV Australia’s 2017-18 summer program, including Del Kathryn Barton, Helen Maudsley, Mel O’Callaghan and Gareth Sansom.

The exhibition is on display at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square, Melbourne from 17 November 2017 – 12 March 2018. Entry is free. Further information is available from the NGV website.

ngv.vic.gov.au