National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 Finalist
Arini Byng
born Australia 1987
(indistinct chatter) 3 2023
pigment photographic print on paper
‘(indistinct chatter) 3 is an intimate and personal work, which pictures an improvised duet between my father Travis Byng and myself. Together we move vulnerably and tenderly, negotiating each other’s limbs, with the subtle tensions inherent in the shared discovery and exploration of cultural and familial themes. The title refers to a caption seen in films, when multiple conversations are taking place but no particular dialogue is discernible. Here, this background conversation is brought centre-stage, without reducing the exchange to a retelling for voyeuristic eyes. The viewer is invited both to consider the specificity of my family narrative, and how we all handle and perceive our own memories, histories and experiences.’
Naarm/Melbourne-based artist Arini Byng explores the affective qualities of materials, gestures and settings to negotiate political scenes and navigate experiences of identity, history and memory.