DOMINIK MERSCH GALLERY AWARD

2012 Winner: Kevin Platt

The Dominik Mersch Gallery Award, now in its fourth year, is an annual award in collaboration with the University of Sydney, Sydney College of the Arts. As part of the award, Dominik Mersch Gallery provides an exhibition space in the gallery to show one or more artists from Sydney College of the Arts. The 2012 recipient, Kevin Platt, was selected from SCA’s annual end of year Postgraduate Degree Show. Past recipients of the award include Locust Jones, Lucas Davidson, Andrew Newman and Tom Jefferson.

“Offering an exhibition space to show their works, is the best way to support young and promising artists. According to best practice in Europe and the USA, such awards are very important to give young artists a head start”, says Dominik Mersch.

Dean of SCA, Professor Colin Rhodes says “This is a great collaboration between one of Sydney’s top contemporary galleries and one of the country’s best art schools. It gives an opportunity for one of our best to reach a wide, appreciative audience.”

Kevin Platt is an emerging artist based in Sydney, completing his Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture, Performance and Installation at Sydney College of the Arts. His project, Invested Objects, 2009, involves a large plywood construction that will be suspended from the ceiling of the Dominik Mersch Gallery, accompanied by diagrammatic pictures documenting the plywood structure in the form of a plan, similar to plans used for building boats, planes and buildings.

Platt says “The Dominik Mersch Gallery Award is an overwhelming offer. I am deeply grateful and excited about being afforded the chance to work with such a respected gallery.”

Where: Dominik Mersch Gallery, 11/2 Danks Street Waterloo
When: The opening of the Dominik Mersch Gallery Award will be held on Wednesday 18 January, 6 to 8pm.

Image: Kevin Platt, Invested Objects, 2009.