Day dreamer / night thinker

saskia haalebos

8 july - 2 september

Day Dreamer / Night Thinker is a solo exhibition by Kamberri/Canberra artist Saskia Haalebos, including animation, book arts, text and printmaking to contemplate questions of mortality, empathy and modes of mis/communication.  Haalebos’ recent works are a reflection of personal grief, loss and memory following the passing of the artist’s grandmother. Day Dreamer / Night Thinker explores how we process grief, loss and memory with a sense of poetic curiosity. 

“On a sunny winter morning in 2022 I lost my beloved Nan. People remarked, ‘Oh she was 100?! At least she had a long life!’ Though well intentioned, I could only nod, tuck my sorrow back under my coat and ask questions of something else. Nan and I shared many things: holidays, secrets, cups of tea, road trips, a birthday. This year was my first without her, and so I took a sandwich and thermos to the cemetery, sat on a bench in her shawl and whimpered in the wind. We’re not very good at grief in the West. People seem uncomfortable, obligated, annoyed. I have found it a very solitary and confusing time.

Day Dreamer / Night Thinker is many things. A self portrait of sorts. A mediation on mortality. A processing of loss. Of trying to keep contained. Of letting go and of trying to hold on.”

Saskia Haalebos is a multidisciplinary Kamberri/Canberra artist working with animation, book arts, film, performance, printmaking, text—whatever the idea calls for around themes of mortality, empathy and mis/communication.

Over the last few years she’s had solo shows at Sydney Non Objective, Canberra Contemporary Art Space Manuka, Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, M16 Artspace, and Sawtooth ARI (TAS); been in group shows at local arts orgs, Gallery 1855 (SA), and the China Academy of Art; and performed in festivals such as, You Are Here, Noted, and Contour 556.

She’s taught book arts at the National Art School; created a program for the National Gallery of Australia’s 40th birthday; collaborated on EXTRA! EXTRA! for the Kaldor Public Art Projects retrospective at the AGNSW; been artist in residence with The Unconformity (TAS), Canberra Contemporary Art Space, and Megalo Print Studio; and is currently the inaugural M16 Artspace Studio Artist Resident.

Events + Dates:

Wednesday 12 July: Join us from 5pm - 7pm, as we celebrate the opening of Day Dreamer / Night Thinker, to be opened by Iutruwita/Tasmania writer Jane Rawson.

Saturday 5 August: Saskia Haalebos will present an artist talk from 11am - 12pm, Wednesday 5 August in the Megalo gallery to discuss her wonderful exhibition Day Dreamer / Night Thinker. This is a free event, no bookings required.

Day Dreamer / Night Thinker is on display 8 July - 2 September

Megalo is open 9.30am - 5pm | Tuesday - Saturday