Inside Manus … at the ‘Fox Gallery’, Melbourne …

Great weekend ‘down south’ in Melbourne … and pretty intense too. Arrived at Tom Goldner’s ‘The Fox Darkroom & Gallery’ from Cairns with less than an hour to spare before the scheduled opening of my “Inside Manus Detention Centre” collection. Tom, his meticulous assistant Leni Fohringer and ‘The Fox’ crew had performed a wonderful job hanging the work and readying the gallery and the (essential) refreshment for the exhibition launch eve.

Tom had been relentless in his desire to show my work from inside the Lombrum asylum seeker detention centre, made just two days after the Australian government closed it down early last November with over six hundred men still inside. Journalist Rory Callinan and myself were extremely fortunate to gain access inside the abandoned camp … built by the Australian government at astronomic cost just a few years back … to document the plight of the hundreds left in the tropical heat with no power, no food, no water, no medicines … and no services.

The evening was excellent and the crowd large, engaged and enthusiastic. Great to have good photographer friends and colleagues Tracey Nearmy and John Donegan in attendance … and also Nikon’s tireless Professional Markets Manager Julie Kimpton. Oh yeah … we even managed to collect a tidy amount of cash from donations during the evening which will be passed on to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

On Saturday it was back to ‘The Fox’ for a presentation of an expanded ‘projection and chat’ version of my “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” collection … previously hung in Sydney and Cairns … in front of a twenty plus seated audience. Managed to natter about the show accompanied by the projection of over a hundred images for over the two hours of the event … hopefully without boring the pants off the paying patrons too much.

I really do need to sincerely thank a host of people for their support in getting  “Inside Manus Detention Centre” on the wall and a success … Tom Goldner for his enthusiasm, determination and great gallery space, Leni for her boundless energy and organisational skills, Prism Imaging for their fantastic printing of the work, Julie Kimpton and Nikon Australia for their invaluable assistance, Alison Stieven-Taylor from ‘Photojournalism Now’ for her wonderful promotional help, the entire ‘Fox’ team of volunteers and associates … and all those that made it to ‘The Fox Darkroom & Gallery’ on the weekend for the two shows. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

Also thanks to the  ‘Milk Bar Mag’ and ‘Broadsheet’ publications in Melbourne for their coverage and promotion of the show.

“Inside Manus Detention Centre” is open at ‘The Fox Gallery’, Kensington, Melbourne till March 4th.

Images All © Brian Cassey

'Inside Manus Detention Centre' at the Fox Gallery Melbourne - by Brian Cassey

… the quiet before the opening …

'Inside Manus Detention Centre' at the Fox Gallery Melbourne - by Brian Cassey

… but it soon got a little busy …

'Inside Manus Detention Centre' at the Fox Gallery Melbourne - by Brian Cassey

… unmistakably Nikon’s Julie Kimpton on the right …

'Inside Manus Detention Centre' at the Fox Gallery Melbourne - by Brian Cassey

… Pakistani refugee Ezatullah Kakar on the boat to the Lombrum detention centre with food and medicines …

One Closes … Another Soon to Open …

Today … Tuesday 30th January … was the last day at The Tanks, Cairns for my “A Photographer’s Life – Part One exhibition … tomorrow is the day the works come off the walls and the cameras and photographic hardware get packed away (somewhere!). Thanks to all for the wonderful feedback …

Coincidentally, I spent today preparing the image files for my next exhibition soon to open at The Fox Gallery in Melbourne.

Thanks to ‘Fox’ gallery owner Tom Goldner … my work from inside the Manus Island asylum seeker detention centre in Papua New Guinea following it’s closure by the Australian government with over six hundred refugees still desperately ensconced therein … will be unleashed on a Melbourne audience from the 24th February. “Inside Manus Detention Centre” will consist of seventeen images documenting the plight of those from the Middle East, Africa and Asia who have faced years long incarceration at the will of the Australian government … with still no future on the horizon.

The images in question were made on assignment for News Corp with journalist Rory Callinan. We had been on Manus for less than a day when we found ourselves on a small local boat headed for Australia’s ‘closed’ Lombrum detention centre … a trip made by several refugees and local boatman to smuggle foods and medicines into the camp. Our time ‘inside’ was brief but long enough to show the desperate situation inside the camp where there was no food, water, medication, power or services. Weeks later all six hundred odd were forcibly removed.

Whilst I’m at the ‘Fox’ I will also be presenting a two hour talk and slide show (on Saturday the 24th) based on my “A Photographer’s Life” work … and you can secure a spot by visiting here … https://www.thefoxdarkroom.com.au/product/artist-talk-brian-cassey-photographers-life/ .

Below I’ve posted a couple of images from “Inside Manus Detention Centre” which runs at ‘The Fox Gallery” Kensington, Melbourne from grand opening eve on 23rd February (to which you are invited) till 4th March.

Images © Brian Cassey.

"Inside Manus Detention Centre" - The Fox Gallery Melbourne - by Brian Cassey

"Inside Manus Detention Centre" - The Fox Gallery Melbourne - by Brian Cassey