ONLINE EXHIBITION 

a Geelong Design Week 2021 Event -
The Journey of Extraordinary Encounters
Online Exhibition of
Works Exhibited at ​Vidler Art Parlour
 ​Suite 11/138A Malop St, Geelong VIC 3220
during the Geelong design Week 2021 from
​18 March 2021 - 28 March 2021

Aquaphilia - Love of Water
The Aquaphilia Exhibition was created, designed and curated by Dr Phillip B. Roös.
All living creatures on earth have an innate connection to water, in fact, we cannot survive without water. This deep affiliation to water heightens our sensory experiences and attachment to place, where beautiful landscapes along waterways gets settled by humans since ancient times.  In the exhibition ‘Aquaphilia’, five contributors from a multidisciplinary background of architecture, landscape architecture, sculpture and fine arts – submerge themselves into the depths of their practice to produce works reflective of a 'Love of Water’.  The collection of contemporary visual and interactive artworks underpinned by the adoration for hydration, raises questions of social and environmental consciousness. 

Contributors

Phillip Barend Roös

​Deeply embedded in ecological consciousness, Roös investigates our innate affiliation to water – Aquaphilia – by raising burning questions of social and environmental issues, how our ‘love of water’ can destroy vulnerable ecological systems or enhance environmental regeneration. On drawings, paintings and large paper scrolls Roös captures the hidden storylines of natural habitats and human interference, while adventuring into the bays, wetlands, rivers, and forests of the region.  

Simon Kilbane

​Simon is a landscape architect with a long-standing fascination with wetlands and waterways and their sights, sounds, smells, and – especially – their biota. Often obscured, lost, or otherwise not visible, Simon explores his personal relationship with these waters through a series of cartographic explorations that collage maps and memories.

Jesse David Delmo

​An integral contributor to the 'Aquaphilia' exhibition, Delmo brings a unique perspective to the collective expression of the group. Holding a Masters in Architecture, he has chosen to explore the human interaction with water by means of infrastructure and passage. What do we build to be closer to water? And in turn, what is built to preserve these environments. Enjoy ink and watercolour representations of the Barwon River and surrounding coastal areas.

Courtney Ward

​Local artist & florist, Courtney Ward, has been a passionate contributor to the Geelong scene for a number of years. Her latest venture, Vidler Art Parlour, opened in late 2019. The Parlour is dedicated to connecting the community with local artists and musicians, operating as an exhibition space and art studio. Whilst in the current curatorial role she still enjoys exploring her artistic practice by way of poetry, digital collage, botanical installation and ink illustrations. For the diverse nature of Courtney’s practice, the subject matter remains consistent as she communicates her surreal perception and romantic musings of the natural world. 
 

Lana Van Galen

​Born and raised in Geelong, Lana has a deep affinity for Lake Connewarre, having explored its environment on foot and by water, revelling in the beauty of the flora, fauna, land and skyscapes. As an architect and lecturer, this life-long appreciation of nature has informed a design and teaching approach which seeks to harmoniously integrate build and natural environments. 
 
Her work in this exhibition – Aquaphilia – has provided an opportunity to reflect and reconnect with the hidden wonder that is the wetlands and rivers around Connewarre, exploring through photography, the details and the greater context of the Lake.