Olivia Koh discusses her new commission for Gallery 5, Palm Oil Family (Minyak Sawit Keluarga), with Diego Ramirez. The work is co-commissioned by ACMI and Hyphenated Projects.
Minyak Sawit Keluarga (Palm Oil Family) by artist Olivia Koh, examines her paternal family’s history of farming practices in rural Southern Malaysia (Peninsula). Footage of domestic-scale palm oil plantations in Johor is interspersed with visual and auditory recordings of funerary Daoist rituals, documents and interviews that consider the palm oil industry and relevant history of migration in the local area.
Olivia will also introduce and screen two earlier short works: frozen spit 2017–18 and The Pioneers 2021–22.
Tickets include a drink on arrival and bookings are essential.
About Art+Film
ACMI's ART+FILM program showcases short and feature-length films by leading Australian and international artists. With a focus on single-channel works that harness the unique conventions of cinema, the program comprises internationally significant works from the ever-expanding field of artist films.
About the artists
Olivia Koh
Olivia Koh is an artist and curator working in moving image production in Narrm/Melbourne. Drawing on a personal family history of land ownership, migration and extractive agriculture, her work examines the complexities and real challenges of navigating a diasporic identity and history. She holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Art Research at RMIT University (2022).
Olivia organises recess, an online platform for moving image works. The platform facilitates online exhibitions and physical screenings, including ‘the hearts of the people are bigger than the size of the land’ at RISING Festival (2021), 'recess presents', ACE Open (2020). recess co-curated a suite of moving image works for the Artist Film Program for Melbourne Now, NGV Australia (2023).
Diego Ramírez
Artist Diego Ramírez has shown locally at ACMI in partnership with ACCA, Gertrude Glasshouse, Westspace, Blakdot and internationally at Deslave (Mexico), Human Resources (US), Torrance Art Museum (US), Art Central (HK), and Careof (IT). Ramírez has written locally for Art Gallery of Western Australia, Art and Australia, Disclaimer, MEMO, un Projects and internationally with NECSUS (NL) and BLUE journal (US x FR). He is the former Director at Seventh Gallery and current Editor-In-Residence at un Projects. He is represented by MARS Gallery.
Learn more about Minyak Sawit Keluarga (Palm Oil Family)
More Art+Film events
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