28 October – 11 December
Mildura Arts Centre, Gallery 3
Free Entry

Underneath our city arteries, the roadways, corridors and paths conceal a labyrinthine network of utilities and services. These invisible networks facilitate the complex delivery of services and communications essential to the smooth operation of a functioning, modern society. 

In a continual process of breakdown and repair, road maintenance workers spray-paint symbols (numbers, dots, lines, crosses and arrows), modern day hieroglyphics denoting repairs and modifications required. These indicate interventions where future work needs to take place.

This palimpsest of gestures and marks (the signs and the signifiers that the French semiological and linguistic philosopher, Ferdinand de Saussure [1857–1913]) speak of time, incidents, accidents, obstructions, engagement and performance. They represent blemishes and glitches, metaphors for the breakdown of our systems under pandemic lockdown and other interrupters. 

They appear without reference or context, a secret language communicated in the public domain, but hermetically sealed outside the inner sanctum. The signs exist long after the repair works have been completed, muted evidence of some previous activity and purpose.

Panel Discussion
Saturday, October 29, 2-4pm
Mildura Arts Centre
Free Entry

Join us for a panel discussion on the conceptual and contextual insights related to the new exhibition by Neil Fettling, Streets of Ferdinand de Saussure.

The exhibition discusses themes of the breakdown and repair of our cities networks: the utilities and services (post-pandemic) and the semiological processes involved in their continual repair.

Panel participants include, Dr Vincent Alessi (incoming Director, Linden New Art), Professor Peter Beilharz (Emeritus Professor, La Trobe University), and Neil Fettling.