Hanging on every word of UQ Art Museum podcast

21 June 2018
Subscribe to the Hangs series on iTunes.

If a picture paints a thousand words, then the UQ Art Museum’s latest venture, Hangs, is set for a long conversation. And not just about art.

Hangs is a podcast series with a difference. It’s not a lecture about art; it’s not a guide to an exhibition of art; it’s not even a musical accompaniment to art. It’s a cleverly recorded conversation between two people who happen to be looking at a UQ Art Museum exhibition – and where that conversation leads is anyone’s guess.

According to UQ Art Museum’s Digital Communications Officer Sebastian Moody, who came up with the idea for Hangs with Senior Education Manager Dr Holly Arden, art should be talked about, thought about and assessed.

“Some people think they have to have an art degree to be able to appreciate art, but this is simply not true. Anyone can have an opinion and admire – or not – the pieces on display,” he said.

“In fact, what inspired us to create this series of podcasts was our observation that people at our exhibition openings have the most fascinating and random conversations inspired by what they see on the gallery walls."

“We just thought we’d take it one step further.”

The pair worked with UQ communication and journalism interns to match up some chatty types – mostly comedians and media personalities – and set them off around the gallery with headphones and microphones attached. 

“The results have been hilarious, and diverse,” Moody said.

"What inspired us to create this series of podcasts was our observation that people at our exhibition openings have the most fascinating and random conversations inspired by what they see on the gallery walls."

“I have always thought that the UQ Art Museum is a ‘safe space for unsafe ideas’ and that’s certainly been the case here. 

“We’ve had conversations about selfies, wildebeest and tooth-brushing etiquette, and that’s just the start. I can’t wait to see what the coming year brings – particularly with our major retrospective on Robert Smithson, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.”

Produced by students from the School of Journalism and the School of Communication and Arts, the UQ Art Museum plans to launch between four and six Hangs podcasts each year to coincide with major exhibitions.

View the current exhibitions at the UQ Art Museum

Main image caption: Dr Nicholas Carah from the School of Communication and Arts with arts journalist Bec Mac discussing The dust never settles exhibition at the UQ Art Museum. Image: UQ Art Museum

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