Artist Talk: Dennis Golding
July 25 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Free
Join us to hear from Neighbour at the Gate exhibiting artist Dennis Golding as he discusses his work Bingo (2025).
Bingo (2025) draws from Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding’s recollections of family bingo nights hosted by his Nan and Aunty on Eveleigh Street in Redfern. Gathering in an abandoned terrace, they stitched together joy from what little they had – cutting game cards from cardboard, running power through borrowed cords, and making space for community.
The brick-like etchings and plates resemble the terracotta terraces of Redfern – a vital site of Aboriginal community resistance, where Dennis was raised.
Each card tells a family story: cats curled on sun-warmed steps, the long coil of a corded phone, letters opened slowly, a cup of tea cooling by the sink, the quiet rattle of fishing gear. Earthy tones recall the walls of Dennis’ childhood and the ochres of Aboriginal art, while blue and red ink – reminiscent of biro pens – echoes the everyday. Some surfaces bear the dust of soil pressed gently into the paper, a residue of place.
Bingo offers no easy nostalgia. It speaks of strength formed in closeness, of laughter shared across tables, of walls that held community, not confinement. It is a tender monument to survival, made from the small, enduring things that hold us.
‘It wasn’t about winning, but the feeling of freedom and connection.’
– Dennis Golding
Dennis Golding was raised on Gadigal Country in Sydney and stems from the Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay of Northwest NSW and Biripi of Mid-north coast of NSW. His work critiques the social, political, and cultural representations of race and identity, drawing from his own experiences living in urban environments and through childhood memories.
Golding graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) at UNSW Art & Design in 2019 and now works independently as an artist and curator. His work has been exhibited at major institutions including the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Living Museums, and Carriageworks, and has been commissioned for various public art installations around Sydney. In 2020, he was awarded the Create NSW Visual Arts Fellowship.
The Neighbour at the Gate is a commissioned exhibition project for the National Art School, proudly supported by the NSW Government through the Blockbusters Funding initiative. The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication, learning and education framework and public programs.
