“Je suis l’espace où je suis.”
(I am the space where I am.)
- Noël Arnaud

The Middle Distance aims to explore the notion of ‘sacred space’, with narrative, ritual and the function of contemplation within spaces forming integral aspects of the collective sculptural installations. The work explores intervals between points, reflecting on architectural spaces and thoroughfares as areas that are often passed through but not paused in, neither given a closer look, nor a second glance.

Through the use of distilled minimalist forms, symbolic and ritualistic totems have been created to hopefully initiate pause and contemplation, creating cause to stop and take a closer look, to reflect and muse whilst engaging with the ‘spaces’ on an intimate and ritualistic level.

Alichia van Rhijn is a South-African born Australian artist currently undertaking a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the National Art School in Sydney. Having a background in architecture and design she has always had a strong passion for creating sculptural and installation-based objects and forms that initiate thought and explore underlying elements of memory, trace, experience and loss as well as cataloguing the notion of displacement through personal resonance and experience.

Memory, interaction and experience of place and the notion of ‘space’ are integral elements to van Rhijn’s works. This unconscious rediscovery is explored through interaction and ‘play’ with ideas distilled into minimalist gestures and forms. Material exploration and the notion of ‘making as thinking’ as well as process and technology underpin the creation of objects that float between reality and a child-like nonsensical world that invite interaction and play.