29 January – 6 March 2010 

During a harsh winter residency in Prague in 2008, Australian artist Peter Fitzpatrick became fascinated by the dispossessed people who lived on the streets. In these large-scale photographs and videos, Fitzpatrick creates what on the surface appear to be surreal, Kafkaesque narratives but are in fact faithful recreations of actual encounters with these eccentric characters. 

Fitzpatrick’s practice spans both street photography and tableau vivant, a paradoxical combination that he skilfully integrates in this exhibition. While these images begin as performances by the artist, they ultimately become confronting depictions of marginalised people in a society that has suffered and survived massive social upheaval in recent years.