Melbourne artist Meagan Streader is taking over The Substation in Newport this winter with A Residual Pulse, a large-scale light installation designed specifically for the industrial gallery space.
Running from 21 May to 22 August, the exhibition transforms The Substation’s galleries into an immersive environment of light, suspended sculpture and shifting movement, using the building’s own history and architecture as the foundation for the work.
Created as a site-specific installation, A Residual Pulse maps the former power station’s airflow systems, structural patterns and material traces, translating them into illuminated lines, flickering forms and hanging sculptural elements spread throughout the space.
The result feels less like a traditional gallery exhibition and more like stepping inside a breathing structure. Light pulses through the building while suspended works mirror the ventilation pathways and industrial framework still embedded within the site.
Streader has become known for using light to reshape the way audiences interact with architecture and public space. Her work has previously appeared at major events and institutions including the National Gallery of Victoria, Dark Mofo, Melbourne Design Week, Carriageworks and the Amsterdam Light Festival.
A Residual Pulse marks the Australian premiere of the installation and arrives in one of Melbourne’s most fitting gallery spaces, with The Substation’s exposed industrial character forming a major part of the experience itself.
The opening night on Thursday 21 May from 6pm will also feature the Victorian premiere of Margaret and the Grey Mare, a video opera installation, alongside Nicole Chui’s outdoor billboard work Grassroots Never Dies, Worldwide, inspired by women’s sport.
Curated by Nuala Furtado, the exhibition is free to attend, with galleries open Wednesday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm throughout the season. More information is here.
