Condensery exhibitions move and pulse with live performances
Published on 11 September 2026
Kuweni Dias Mendis - Pigment collection. Image by Naomi McKenzie.
THE CONDENSERY – Somerset Regional Art Gallery will celebrate the opening of two new moving exhibitions on Saturday, 26 September.
‘Pulse of place’ by Kuweni Dias Mendis and ‘The earth is always wet, the ground is always moving’ by Dean Ansell will be on display at The Condensery until 29 November, featuring immersive and multisensory installations and live performances.
Somerset Regional Council Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee Chair, Councillor Sally Jess, invited residents to join The Condensery for the exhibition opening and artist performances.
“Commissioned for the gallery, both artists have created experiential, multisensory installation works which draw from their own ancestral knowledge and embodied practice,” Cr Jess said.
“We’re excited to hear from the artists at the opening on 26 September, and to see them activating their exhibitions through performances in October.”
Cr Jess said ‘Pulse of place’ explored domestic ritual and cultural histories of Sri Lankan women.
“Through her exhibition and performance, Kuweni Dias Mendis explores relationships between body, place, memory, ancestors and more-than-human words,” Cr Jess said.
“Kuweni will perform at The Condensery on Saturday, 17 October from 10am to 4pm, activating her exhibition through a special performance.
“The six-hour ritual involves movement and drawing, starting with a cleansing with incense, Kumkum and mantras while surrounded by oil lamps, flowers and betel leaves.
“Visitors can drop in anytime and watch the creation of a new large artwork, while also creating their own pigment drawings in the Creation Station.”
Cr Jess said Dean Ansell’s exhibition, ‘The ground is always wet, the earth is always moving’ was a new work exploring the ephemeral and cylindrical nature of wind, landscape and transformation.
“Drawing on his Melanesian heritage and Balawaian ancestral mythology, Dean brings together suspended sculpture, light, engraved imagery and soundscape to create an atmospheric encounter with the elemental forces,” Cr Jess said.
“We encourage the community to join Dean for a live performance and artist talk on Saturday, 24 October from 11am to 12pm.
“Dean will create a dynamic soundscape with swirling sounds of whistling winds, layered breath and distant cries to retell the mythology of the south-easterly wind, which in Balawaian mythology is named Avala.”
The exhibition opening, held 2pm-4pm on Saturday, 26 September, is a free event with light catering.
To RSVP visit thecondensery.com.au/programs
The Condensery – Somerset Regional Art Gallery is located at 29 Factory Road, Toogoolawah.
‘Pulse of place’ was made possible through The Regional Arts Development Fund. The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Somerset Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
Dean Ansell, Tauruba with Clouds, digital image. Courtesy of the artist.