Poetic and philosophical – artist Janet Laurence’s latest exhibition at Cassandra Bird Gallery

Set within the backstreets of Sydney’s colourful and ever-cosmopolitan Potts Point, Cassandra Bird gallery opened its doors in October 2023 under the direction of art dealer and curator, Cassandra Bird, and her partner, artist, set-designer and exhibition maker, Fabian Jentsch.

Bird is no new face to the art world, with an illustrious career as an international art dealer that commenced at a young age, care of her great aunt who owned the renowned Von Bertouch Galleries in Newcastle, Australia. From Von Bertouch, Bird springboarded to New York and worked with Venetia Kapernekas Gallery, developing networks and connections in the New York art world, and then backed up with a four-year stint in Berlin working with Duve Berlin and Johnen Galerie across the European art market, and further setting up her own experimental project space, Momentum.

The calibre of her extensive experience, international connections, and vibrant energy saw her attract the attention of Australian art market leader, Roslyn Oxley, who lured her back to Sydney appointing her as assistant director of Roslyn Oxley9, where she continued to work for 10 years. Cassandra Bird gallery is her newest project, having returned to Sydney to live after a hiatus in the German Alps during the pandemic. 

Housed in a sprawling four-storey Victorian terrace, the gallery exudes the culture of its ‘Potts Point meets King’s Cross’ surroundings. From the street, it appears to be a typical heritage terrace, with a small, steep staircase opening into a short hallway.

However, the domestic areas on all four floors have been fashioned into gallery spaces, each floor with its own distinct feeling, defined by beautiful material, structural, and architectural nuances. The gallery feels incredibly local, like visiting a friend’s home, while simultaneously stepping into a vibrant international context, as the programme presents a brilliant curation of artistic practices and artworks from around the globe. 

Highlights of the 2024 programme include the presentation of ‘Alchemical Gardening’ by critically acclaimed artist, Janet Laurence. Laurence’s work is poetic, philosophical, and at the forefront of art practice, exploring global dialogues of climate and environment.

Filling all four gallery spaces, the works in ‘Alchemical Gardening’ transformed the terrace into a magical installation environment revealing the delicate interconnectedness of the natural world.

Such is Laurence long-standing commitment to discussions of climate action she represented Australia at the Artist 4 Paris Climate exhibition, 2015, was the recipient of the Antarctic Fellowship, 2021 and represented Australia in Biocenosis 21, an exhibition with the Congress for Biodiversity, Marseilles, France, 2021.

September’s exhibition is a Sydney first with the gallery presenting a solo exhibition of Danish contemporary artist and minimalist sculpture, Jeppe Hein. Hein’s work is known for its combination of architecture, design and art to delightful interactive audience experiences.

His practice has an uplifting sense of playfulness using forms that entice the audience to enter the artwork. From balloons, two-way mirrors, and neon texts to vaudeville functional seating structures and benches Hein’ capacity to reimagine the functionality of objects and how we engage with them has led to critical acclaim.

Hein lives between Berlin and Copenhagen. While this will be his first solo show in Sydney, Australia, however his works are housed in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and Tate Modern, London.

With a dedicated yet understated finger on the pulse, Cassandra Bird Gallery is drawing from the extensive networks of the global art world to present a uniquely local experience.

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