Programs & Events

In dialogue with his solo exhibition A River Is a Witness, artist Jagath Dheerasekara and Paula Sanchez share their personal and collective stories—with one another and the wider community. United by the centrality of art in their lives and their unwavering commitment to the ideals they fought for in their youth, Jagath and Paula have confronted some of the world’s most notorious autocratic regimes and both are survivors of torture—Paula in Chile, Jagath in Sri Lanka.

Forced into exile, they sought asylum in foreign lands only a few years apart, their remarkable resilience enabling them to rebuild their lives. They speak not only as witnesses, but as living archives of experience and resistance, standing against the erasure of memory. This conversation weaves a powerful thread of stories, unfolding as an act of memorialising and solidarity, and invites the wider community to engage with histories that continue to shape the present.

Free Entry. RSVP HERE

Please be advised that this discussion contains themes of violence and is intended for adult audiences.

 

 

Tickets & pricing
Free entry
Duration
1pm - 2pm
Accessibility
Wheelchair Accessible

 

ABOUT

Jagath Dheerasekarais a multi-disciplinary artist whose work is informed by personal and collective memory, the ongoing impacts of colonisation, and the fragility of the principles of humanity. Born in Sri Lanka, Dheerasekara was forced to flee the island due to political persecution in Sri Lanka’s 1987-1990 Southern Uprising. He was granted political asylum in France, unable to return to Sri Lanka until the mid-1990s. In 2008, Dheerasekara moved to Australia with his family, and now lives on Gundungarra Country in Western Sydney.

Paula Sanchez was born in Chile in 1968, and was involved in the struggle against military dictatorship at the age of 13. In 1987, she was detained by the Chilean secret police as a political prisoner. She later arrived in Australia with her parents and sister in 1988 under the Humanitarian Program—offered to people who were prosecuted in their countries—and since then has continued to be involved in activism and solidarity.

Summer Open Day is a celebration of the artists from our current exhibitions, with a day of free activities on the closing weekend of The Pool Show The Pool Show, river is a witness and MEGAPIXEL.  Enjoy hands-on, artist-led activities for all ages, including water play inspired by Mike Hewson’s Bush Shower; a Pool Cake Competition and a chance to win passes to Ripples Leisure Centre; a pop-up market stall with the MEGAPIXEL artists; and a plein air–style  drawing workshop with Katerina Asistin. Live music by Jerrah Patston and Sam Worrad including ‘The Glenbrook Pool Song’. Join The Pool Show artists David Capra and Katerina Asistin in conversation with Joanna Gilmour, followed by a special afternoon tea storytelling session with Jagath Dheerasekara and Paula Sanchez.