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Rewind Forward at the Victorian Archives Centre Gallery features the work of our 2025 Creative in Residence artists: Emile Zile, Sam Wallman, Shannon Slee, Susan Fitzgerald, and Queer-ways. 

Each artist has delved deep into Public Record Office Victoria's collection to examine local histories that resonate with them on a personal level. Through historic photographs, criminal inquest records, original artifacts and hand written documents, they've explored Victoria's past and created works about the relevance of history on contemporary issues. 

Comics journalist, and dock worker Sam Wallman has looked into the impact of automation on the docks. Textile artist Shannon Slee is highlighting the historical violence on women’s bodies due to state laws that prohibited access to safe reproductive health care. Graphic designer Susan Fitzgerald has immersed herself in the history of transport ticket design and the lost manufacturing processes. LUCIANO and George Keats, who work collectively as Queer-ways have brought to life the outfits that landed people in the courts for gender non-conformity in the early 20th century. And video and performance artist Emile Zile has discovered the traces his own family have left behind in the archives.

Exhibition hours: 30 May 2025 - 1 May 2026 , 10am-4:30pm weekdays, plus 10am - 4pm every second and last Saturday of the month. Closed public holidays.
 

Location

Victorian Archives Centre Gallery
99 Shiel Street
North Melbourne
 

Image Gallery

 

 

Rewind Forward exhibition. A sculpture made from boxes, painted with figures is in the foreground.

 

Rewind Forward exhibition. A video screen of a small girl in a red dress running through the archival repository. Underneath the screen are 2 sets of headphones.

 

An iPad on a stand is in the foreground Behind are people walking through the gallery. In the background is an artwork made from a large vertical piece of black silk.

 

 

A close up of a display of archival records relating to transport tickets, including many colourful tickets.

 

Material in the Public Record Office Victoria archival collection contains words and descriptions that reflect attitudes and government policies at different times which may be insensitive and upsetting

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be aware the collection and website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

PROV provides advice to researchers wishing to access, publish or re-use records about Aboriginal Peoples