For Kaldor Public Art Project 28, the highly acclaimed Slovakian artist Roman Ondák presents a trio of participatory works at Parramatta Town Hall (10-24 January), presented in association with Sydney Festival 2014. The historic venue hosts Swap (2011), the riveting interactive chain of barter and exchange that delighted 13 Rooms audiences, and Measuring the Universe (2007), previously presented to great acclaim at MoMA, New York, and Tate St Ives, United Kingdom. The third work, Terrace (2014) has been created especially for Kaldor Public Art Project 28.

My concepts are not based on creating images representing beauty, but on presenting ideas, which have the potential for invisible beauty integrated into their core

Roman Ondák takes the familiar elements of everyday life and reframes them to surprise our expectations and perspectives. He investigates social codes, conventions, rituals and forms of exchange by discreetly dislocating objects, ideas and actions from their usual settings. His installations, performances and interventions are sometimes scarcely distinguishable from the context in which they are presented. Often humorous, they provoke a double take by viewers, making them question their preconceptions and modes of interaction.

Adding a personal element to the project, and evoking the presence of the Slovakian artist in Parramatta is Terrace (2014), a work created especially for Project 28. An exact replica of the artist’s own terrace in his post-war Central European apartment, this work provides a shift in perspective for viewers as they navigate the exhibition.

Read more about events and talks around this exhibition

Kaldor Public Art Projects collaborates with groundbreaking artists to create new works inspired by place and time, and explores the linkages between art, creativity, education. Kaldor Public Art Projects on Facebook