A Vanishing PointAkil Ahamat and Kalanjay Dhir

Artworks
A sunset outdoors computer generated scene. There is a floating camera focused on a cloud of dust with two googly cartoon eyes. In the background are realistic trees, water and cranes.

A Vanishing Point is the first collaboration between Akil Ahamat and Kalanjay Dhir. The artwork follows Ash, a recently cremated person, and its unseen friend, Wind.

A Vanishing Point is staged in the game engine, Unreal Engine 5. Using advanced particle simulation and high resolution environment rendering overlayed with simplistic two-dimensional animation, the work plays with histories of representation, image-making and belief.

The work takes its name from a technique used by Renaissance painters to represent three-dimensional reality within two-dimensions where parallel lines seem to disappear or meet at a horizon. In this narrative, the vanishing point also refers to Ash’s regrets about their life and the parallel lines of faith and culture that dictated the path of its life and its friends.

Drawing on existing prose from contemporary ballads, Medieval poetry and folk music, Ash reflects on love lost and interfaith friendships from its human life. As Ash looks to the horizon of the afterlife and Wind breathes life into the scene once more, Ash laments, “Do we go to different after-lifes?

  • DATES

    • Installation FRI 30 August – SUN 29 September, 10:00 – 16:00 AEST
    • Special Live Screening SAT 14 September, 12:00 – 12:10 AEST

  • LOCATION

    • Campbelltown Arts Centre (C-A-C), 1 Art Gallery Rd, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
    • Assistance Animal
    • Wheelchair Accessible
    • Open Captioning
    • Audio Description

A Vanishing Point is a conversation between a recently cremated character, and its unseen friend, Wind.

The work takes its name from a technique used by Renaissance painters to represent three-dimensional reality within two-dimensions where parallel lines seem to disappear or meet at a horizon. In this narrative, the vanishing point also refers to Ash’s regrets about their life and the parallel lines of faith and culture that dictated the path of its life and its friends.

The live iteration of A Vanishing Point distils the narrative of the digital iteration into large scale comic strips. A limited run of these prints will be available for free during the duration of BLEED. A special screening of the digital iteration of A Vanishing Point will also take place in the Performance Studio at Campbelltown Arts Centre during BLEED.

  • DATES

    • FRI 30 August – SUN 29 September
      Available On Demand
    • Open Captioning
    • Audio Description

A Vanishing Point is a short digital video that follows recently cremated person Ash and its unseen friend, Wind.

Drawing on existing prose from contemporary ballads, Medieval poetry and folk music, Ash reflects on love lost and interfaith friendships from its human life. As Wind breathes life into the scene once more, Ash laments, “Do we go to different after-lifes?”

The digital iteration of A Vanishing Point is a short video work that is staged in the game engine, Unreal Engine 5. Using advanced particle simulation and high resolution environment rendering overlayed with simplistic two-dimensional animation, the work plays with histories of representation, image-making and belief.

Acknowledgement of Country
Arts House, Campbelltown Arts Centre and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands we live and work on, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung, Dharawal, and Whadjuk Noongar peoples. We extend our respects to their Elders past and present. We extend this acknowledgment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences and communities, and First Nations peoples globally.