In an era dominated by constant digital connection and the pervasive pull of endless scrolling, a new exhibition at the Town Hall Gallery within the Hawthorn Arts Centre, Victoria, offers a timely invitation to pause. Titled "Slow Read," the exhibition encourages visitors to put down their phones and truly immerse themselves in art, fostering a more deliberate and meaningful engagement with creative works.

A Counterpoint to Digital Overload

Curator Rachel Keir-Smith explains that the exhibition's core philosophy is to provide a rich and profound experience for viewers willing to dedicate their time. "The artworks can offer a rich and meaningful encounter when viewers are open to them, but this requires time," Keir-Smith notes, highlighting the stark contrast to the fleeting attention often given to digital content. "Slow Read" positions itself as the antithesis of "doom-scrolling," urging a shift towards thoughtful observation.

The exhibition showcases works from nine multimedia and collage artists hailing from various regions across Australia. These artists transform traditional book elements into multi-dimensional, tactile pieces that demand, and richly reward, sustained attention – a rare commodity in our fast-paced digital landscape. Among the featured artists are Naarm/Melbourne-based duo Gracia and Louise, known for their nature-inspired collages, prints, zines, and drawings created since 1999, and Venezuelan-born artist Nadia Hernández, whose piece 'Palomita/Soledad' intricately weaves fragments of her grandfather's poetry.

Weaving Stories: Jacky Cheng's 'Thrums'

Malaysian-born artist Jacky Cheng, who resides and works in Yawuru Country in Broome, Western Australia, contributes a compelling work titled 'Thrums.' Cheng's piece masterfully plays on the dual meanings of the word 'thrum' – both a steady, repeated wave of sound and historically, the leftover threads from a loom. Her creation visually evokes a wave of sound, crafted from meticulously woven kozo paper offcuts and old calendars, some of which belonged to her grandmother, all stitched together with durable nylon.

"These printed fragments, once part of a daily ritual of tearing and marking time, carry embedded systems of language, belief and cultural rhythm," Cheng explains of 'Thrums.' The intricate stitching process alone spanned nearly a year, a testament to the deliberate pace she champions. "I often think of weaving as a way of bringing fragments together," Cheng reflects. "Individual pieces of paper might hold one story, but when they're woven together, they create a relationship with one another." This process, she suggests, mirrors the formation of identities – not as single narratives, but through a tapestry of overlapping experiences, memories, and cultural influences.

Cheng openly admits her own susceptibility to digital distractions but has found a practical antidote: dedicating four to five solid hours to her art practice after addressing emails in the morning. She even humorously devised a "cardboard phone" as a physical reminder to stay present. "I place it on the table, and I'll look at it and say 'See, I've got no messages!'" she quips. For Cheng, her artistic process itself is a form of mindful deceleration. "The act of weaving, it's the opposite [of doom-scrolling]. It's repetitive, deliberate and definitely time-intensive," she states. "The work really asks the audience to spend time with it rather than immediately understand it. The meaning unfolds gradually."

Reinterpreting History: Jayda Wilson's '(un)silenced'

Emerging First Nations artist Jayda Wilson, of Gugada, Wirangu, and Thai descent, living in Karna Yauta (South Australia), presents their thought-provoking work '(un)silenced.' This piece, featuring archival documents and transparencies, powerfully reflects on the profound importance of language and the enduring impact of colonialism. Wilson views archives not as static records of the past but as dynamic sites ripe for reinterpretation and reimagining, imbued with contemporary relevance.

'(un)silenced' directly engages with the text of a speech given by Wilson's grandmother, Neva Gryzbowicz (née Wilson), to the Anthropological Society of South Australia. Gryzbowicz's speech poignantly recounted her experiences growing up as a First Nations woman and the historical banning of Gugada and Wirrangu wangga, languages from the Far West Coast of South Australia, by authorities under the White Australian Policy.

"A lot of my work is exploring [Neva's] work, and how that informs my work as well," Wilson shares. "It's not so much a conversation, but I'm weaving the experiences from back then and my experiences now, and how the past has informed the present." Wilson's process involves reprinting the full document of Neva's speech, highlighting key passages, and then hand-tracing notes onto transparent papers. "It's like a dissecting of story, or a piecing together of another story, then the full document is the layered poem on top," they explain. This multi-layered approach allows Wilson to enter a "flow state," fostering a deep and deliberate exploration of the connection between language and identity. "My work is about slowing down and rethinking things," Wilson adds. "Because I work with text and a lot of layering of text as well, you need to look between the lines a little bit and take time to unpack."

The Enduring Power of the Book as Art

Rachel Keir-Smith's curatorial interest was sparked by "artists' books" – artworks crafted from the book form itself – during her exploration of the State Library of Victoria's Rare Book Collection. She explains, "Artists' books were both artists drawing on the book to create something new but also working with a more conceptual framework for extending, celebrating or teasing out different multidisciplinary strands of their practice." These works offer artists a unique medium to infuse new meaning into existing texts or create entirely new narratives.

Keir-Smith emphasizes that the way artists present information through text, image, pagination, layout, and design within these pieces inherently demands time and attention – a vastly different experience from instantaneous online consumption. Recent studies, she notes, have even highlighted the significant health benefits of engaging with art, including reduced anxiety and improved concentration. The ideal way to experience "Slow Read," she advises, is to set aside distractions and allow one's senses to guide the engagement.

"Some people find engaging with art intimidating, but it is important to remember that we have all the tools to experience it within ourselves: looking, noticing, feeling, questioning and making connections," Keir-Smith reassures. The hope is that visitors depart with a fresh appreciation for the profound capabilities of a book, a page, a printed image, or an archive when viewed through an artistic lens. "We're talking about books as these privileged sites of learning and engagement that feel so completely different to the online experience, where you're so over-saturated," she concludes.

"Slow Read" is on display at the Town Hall Gallery, Hawthorn, until July 25.