Last chance to experience Dance Me to the End of Love at SAM

By Kady Hadjab

Feb 8, 2024

Don’t miss out: Sam Jinks’ *Woman and Child* sculpture will be displayed at SAM until February 11. Photo by Shepparton Art Museum

Spanning 120 years of creation, Dance Me to the End of Love is an exhibition that explores the unchangeable life cycles through the lens of 39 artists.

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Borrowing its name from a Leonard Cohen song, the exhibit is free and currently displayed at SAM. But only for a little longer!

Dance Me to the End of Love shares the artists’ perspectives on creation, parenthood, spiritualism, life seasons, death and the afterlife through an eclectic selection of ceramics, sculpture, painting, printmaking, drawing, assemblage and installation artworks.

If you haven’t seen it already, now is the perfect time to do so, as the exhibition will end on Sunday, February 11.

The artworks are set to return to the SAM collection store, where conservation efforts will be applied to ensure their enduring preservation and they will undergo documentation for the museum’s expanding archive.

Exhibiting artists include Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Nell, Julie Dowling (Badimaya/Warida) and Norah Gurdon. One of the collection’s highlights is Sam Jinks’ Woman and Child.

The hyperrealistic sculpture of an elderly woman tenderly embracing a newborn baby garnered an overwhelming response from the community when it was first displayed in 2010 as part of a single-artwork exhibition, prompting SAM to acquire it.

SAM chief executive Melinda Martin encouraged anyone interested to pop in this weekend:

“This past year, we’ve been delighted by the reception of this immense exhibition. Dance Me to the End of Love returned Woman and Child and many other renowned works from the SAM Collection to our gallery, and it’s been wonderful to see people return over again to see the work and to bring along friends and family to share the experience,” she said.

“We encourage everyone to visit SAM before the exhibition’s final day on February 11 to experience this touching display and visit their favourite work one last time before it re-enters the collection,” she declared.

The 39 artists in Dance Me to the End of Love present their distinctive perspectives on universal themes, serving as a poignant reminder of the shared journey we all navigate through life.

The exhibition caters to a wide audience, making it a worthwhile experience for everyone.

Dance Me to the End of Love is free and located in the Lin Onus Gallery, Level 1.