The Installation Art Podcast

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A conversation with New Zealand artist Mike Hewson, recorded inside his monumental installation The Key's Under the Mat at the Art Gallery of New South Wales – a 2,500 square meter underground park complete with working sauna, laundromat, barbecues, DJ booth, recording studio and playground that's broken every visitor record the gallery has ever seen.
Mike's practice straddles the complex lines between art, infrastructure and public liability. He designs playgrounds that councils don't know how to regulate, builds permanent public sculptures that must survive Australian weather conditions and human interference and he takes on legal exposure that would terrify most artists, all while fighting the perception that making functional, interactive work is somehow "beneath" serious art.

Key insights from this episode:
• The Christchurch earthquake moment: barefoot in a broken city, wondering whether he should keep pursuing art
• Project backlash: dealing with public anger, going into debt on his first major commission and lessons learned
• Strategic pivot: setting a new precedent as an artist-engineer
• True scope of the AGNSW project and how he sourced materials for it
• Hard truth and advice: burnout is not a sustainable business model

Mike Hewson is a New Zealand artist based in Sydney. You can find out more about his work on his website https://mikehewson.co.nz/ and follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikehewson
See his work in person:
The Key's Under the Mat at AGNSW Tank (open until August 2026) https://mikehewson.co.nz/2025/10/the-keys-under-the-mat
Coal Loader Palm Grove is a permanent public installation at Sydney Fish Markets: https://mikehewson.co.nz/2026/1/coal-loader-palm-grove
Rocks on Wheels public art playground in Soutbank, Naarm (Melbourne): https://mikehewson.co.nz/2022/11/rocks-on-wheels
Pockets Park in Pioneers Memorial Park, Leichhardt NSW: https://mikehewson.co.nz/2022/2/pockets-park
St Peters Fences at Simpson Park, St Peters NSW: https://mikehewson.co.nz/2020/9/st-peters-fences
Illawarra Placed Landscape at Crown Street Mall, Wollongong NSW: https://mikehewson.co.nz/2017/11/illawarra-placed-landscape

02:55 Work Life Balance Reality
05:35 Growing Up in Rural NZ
08:02 From Painting to Installations
19:40 Building Playgrounds as Art
27:37 Precarious Look Safe Design
32:32 Sourcing Found Materials
40:33 Maintenance and Record Crowds
45:41 Afterlife and Financial Reality
58:51 Geopets Art Fair Hack
01:07:17 Contracts, Insurance and Codes
01:20:51 Hard Truths And Advice
01:25:51 After The Mammoth Show

Also mentioned in this episode:
Christchurch earthquake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Christchurch_earthquake
JR: https://www.jr-art.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/jr/
Columbia University: https://www.columbia.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/columbia/ | @columbia
Sarah Sze: https://www.sarahsze.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/sarahszestudio
Lloyd’s: https://www.lloyds.com/australia | https://www.instagram.com/lloydsoflondon/ | @Lloydsinsurance
Infrastructure NSW: https://www.infrastructure.nsw.gov.au/ |
Gumtree: https://www.gumtree.com.au/ | https://www.instagram.com/gumtreeaus | @gumtreeaustralia
Lett Thomas Gallery: https://lett-thomas.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/michaellett | https://www.instagram.com/lettthomasgallery
Rirkrit Tiravanija: https://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/rirkrit-tiravanija | https://www.instagram.com/rirkrit_team
Sydney Fish Market: https://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/

Images courtesy of the artist and Art Gallery of NSW

The Installation Art Podcast is a show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation. The host Anastasia Parmson, an artist herself, interviews internationally renowned artists and arts workers about the intricacies and behind-the-scenes stories of creating and showing work that is site-specific, ephemeral, large scale or immersive.

🔔 Hit subscribe or follow wherever you’re listening to never miss a new episode.

📢 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/installationartpodcast/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@installationartpodcast

📚 More information about the show and previous episodes: www.installationartpodcast.com
Your host Anastasia Parmson: www.anastasiaparmson.art https://www.instagram.com/anastasiaparmson.art/

I made a 3-minute listener survey to help shape the podcast's future. What's working? What's not? Who should I interview next? Your feedback genuinely matters. Fill out here: https://forms.gle/qqHJrMXpsC9UYu2m7

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A conversation with Dutch artist Tanja Smeets, whose site-specific installations employ diverse and industrial materials (concrete spacers, leaf catchers, textiles, ceramics and 3D-printed steel) to create large scale works that appear to grow organically from architecture and cityscapes.
Guided by her catchphrase “Under the pavement the roots are whirling,” Tanja's practice reveals what it takes to work at the intersection of art, craft, technology and collaboration.

Key insights from this episode:
• Why art school felt like failure
• Finding and transforming unusual materials
• Residencies at TextielLab and European Ceramic Work Center: pushing porcelain through frying sieves, learning embroidery and more
• The volcano eruption: teaching an assistant to knot lentils into lycra via Zoom when flights were grounded
• Miami airport interrogation: five suitcases, a letter and threatening border patrol agents with a lecture on art

Tanja Smeets is a Dutch artist based in Utrecht. Her work has been exhibited internationally including Manifesta and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. See her work in person at
Westerpark, Amsterdam (permanent public sculpture) and Centraal Museum, Utrecht (permanent installation in historic staircase).
03:24 Favorite Quote – Under the Pavement the Roots Are Whirling
09:35 The Iceland Trip That Changed Everything
15:49 From Painting to Installation – When Everything Clicked
20:10 A Government Building Commission – Dripping Through Multiple Floors
22:50 How the Opportunities Started Coming
29:24 TextielLab – Combining Felt with Leaf Catchers
33:09 European Ceramic Work Center Residency
47:47 When the White Cube Doesn’t Work
48:52 Manifesta Barcelona – Installing on 5th-Century Graves
51:17 Building Solo vs Working with Teams
56:33 The Commercial Question – “I’m Always Disappearing into Big Installations”
01:02:10 Miami Airport – Five Suitcases and the Threat of a Lecture
01:06:56 MX3D Collaboration – 3D-Printed Stainless Steel
01:11:43 Finding Technical Collaborators and Pushing Boundaries
01:17:09 Dream Project
01:20:00 Advice for Emerging Artists
Opening of solo exhibition and launch of new publication and film about Tanja’s work: 11 April 2026 at the Utrecht in Leeuwarden.
The book can be ordered via [email protected]

You can find out more about her work at https://www.tanjasmeets.nl/ and follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/studiotanjasmeets/

Also mentioned in this episode:
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum: https://dyckmanfarmhouse.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/dyckmanfarmhouse | @dyckmanfarmhousemuseum8502
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen: https://www.boijmans.nl/en | https://www.instagram.com/boijmans/
TextielMuseum: https://textielmuseum.nl/en | https://www.instagram.com/textielmuseum/
TextielLab: https://textiellab.nl/en
European Ceramic Work Centre: https://ekwc.nl/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/ekwc_oisterwijk/ @sundaymorningekwc6951
David Lynch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lynch
Eraserhead: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074486/
Blue Velvet: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090756/
Kunsthal KAdE: https://www.kunsthalkade.nl/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/kunsthal_kade_amersfoort | https://www.youtube.com/user/KUNSTHALKADE
Manifesta: https://manifesta.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/manifestabiennial/ | @Manifesta_foundation
Mondriaan Fund: https://www.mondriaanfonds.nl/en/homepage-2/ | https://www.instagram.com/mondriaanfonds/
Museum of Arts And Design: https://madmuseum.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/madmuseum | @madmuseum
Museum Vizcaya: https://vizcaya.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/vizcaya_museum/ | @VizcayaMuseum
Westerpark: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/explore/neighbourhoods/westerpark | https://www.instagram.com/iamsterdam
MX3D: https://mx3d.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/mx3d.metal.printing/ | @officialMX3D
Centraal Museum Utrecht: https://www.centraalmuseum.nl/en | https://www.instagram.com/centraalmuseum

The Installation Art Podcast is a show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation. The host Anastasia Parmson, an artist herself, interviews internationally renowned artists and arts workers about the intricacies and behind-the-scenes stories of creating and showing work that is site-specific, ephemeral, large scale or immersive.

🔔 Hit subscribe or follow wherever you’re listening to never miss a new episode.

📢 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/installationartpodcast/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@installationartpodcast

📚 More information about the show and previous episodes: www.installationartpodcast.com
Your host Anastasia Parmson: www.anastasiaparmson.art https://www.instagram.com/anastasiaparmson.art/
Mentioned in this episode:
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A bonus solo episode about my last minute art trip to Helsinki: what I saw at Helsinki Biennale on Vallisaari island, three must-visit museums (Kiasma, Amos Rex, HAM), and why sometimes the best art experiences require a little effort to reach.
Last August, I hopped a ferry from Estonia to catch the closing days of Helsinki Biennale. In a day and a half, I discovered why island biennales create magic, why Nordic countries do art infrastructure better and what Australia can learn from Finland's approach to supporting artists and making contemporary art accessible to everyone.
This isn't a comprehensive review, it’s my honest impressions, favorite discoveries and a few rants.
What I cover in this episode:
• Why the ferry journey to Vallisaari island matters (hello, Cockatoo Island nostalgia)
• The challenge of installing art outdoors: scale, setting and competing with historic buildings
• Standout works: Sara Bjärland's bronze "inflatable" sculptures, Tania Candiani's immersive bunker installation, Ana Teresa Barboza's woven bark forest
• Three essential Helsinki museums: Kiasma (timeless favorite), Amos Rex (new obsession), HAM (Biennale HQ)
• Gushing about Helsinki Central Library (Oodi): free recording studios, 3D printing, instrument hire – everything Sydney libraries lack…
• Free museum days and artist benefits: how my Australian NAVA card got me free entry in Finland (but not in Sydney... explain that)

00:00 Why I Went To Helsinki Biennale
01:20 Getting to Vallisaari
03:31 Island Setting and Challenges
07:06 Scent Art Surprise
08:46 Standout Works
13:14 Lesson About Rushing
15:28 Rainy Day Museum Crawl: Kiasma
16:32 Amos Rex and HAM
21:44 Finland Artist Perks
23:37 Wrap Up and Listener Poll

Resources:
Listener survey - help shape this podcast! https://forms.gle/r2EN8w9C7wisUxJe7
Send a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/installationartpodcast
Write an email: https://installationartpodcast.com/contact

Also mentioned in this episode:
Helsinki Biennale: https://helsinkibiennaali.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/helsinkibiennial/
Vallisaari: https://vallisaari.fi/en_US | https://www.instagram.com/vallisaari.fi
Biennale of Sydney: https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/biennalesydney/ | @biennaleofsydney
Cockatoo Island: https://www.cockatooisland.gov.au/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/harbourtrust/ | @HarbourTrust2088
Olafur Eliasson: https://olafureliasson.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/studioolafureliasson/
Raimo Saarinen: https://www.raimosaarinen.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/raimosaarinen/
Sara Bjarland: https://sarabjarland.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/sbjarland/
Tania Candiani: https://taniacandiani.com/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/tcandiani/
Ana Teresa Barboza: https://www.anateresabarboza.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/anateresa.barbozagubo/
Nabbteeri: https://www.nabbteeri.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/maria_birkhuhn/ | https://www.instagram.com/nabbage/
Kiasma: https://kiasma.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/kiasmamuseum
Amos Rex: https://amosrex.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/amoskonst/
Anna Estarriola: https://www.annaestarriola.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/annaestarriola/
HAM: https://www.hamhelsinki.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/hamhelsinki/
Oodi: https://oodihelsinki.fi/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/oodihelsinki/
NAVA: https://visualarts.net.au/ | https://www.instagram.com/nava_visualarts/

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A philosophical conversation with Berlin-based artist Monika Grzymala, whose spatial drawings transform architecture with nothing but kilometers of black tape, intuition and intense physical labor.
Monika's practice is deceptively simple: she works alone, without assistants, using adhesive tape to create immersive three-dimensional drawings that respond to each unique space. But beneath that simplicity we discuss profound questions about ephemerality, energy, presence and what remains when a work only exists for weeks before disappearing…
From training as a stone sculptor to making her first site-specific drawing on ice at a Hamburg skating rink, from dumping all her figurative work after one transformative conversation with her professor to developing custom tape formulas with German manufacturers—Monika's journey reveals how radical simplicity can be the most powerful artistic choice.
Key insights from this episode:
• How one professor's comment changed everything
• The longevity of tape installations: 2-3 months before they fall apart (and why that's intentional)
• Documentation philosophy: why time-lapse videos don't capture the real process
• Living inside an installation: the collector who surrounded herself with Monika's work
• Advice for emerging artists: you don't need funding or large studios—just do it
Monika Grzymala is a Polish artist based in Berlin. You can find out more about her work on her website: http://www.t-r-a-n-s-i-t.net/ and follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monika.grzymala/
Monika’s publications: https://www.betterworldbooks.com/search/results?q=monika grzymala

She is represented by
Galerie CRONE: https://www.galeriecrone.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/galerie_crone/
BERG Contemporary: https://www.bergcontemporary.is/en | https://www.instagram.com/bergcontemporary/
SECCI Gallery: https://www.seccigallery.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/secci_gallery/

03:20 Studio Rituals
03:48 Berlin Life And Process
05:44 Origins And Training
08:01 Finding The Line
13:25 Ephemeral Tape Philosophy
31:24 Hunting For The Perfect Tape
32:21 Liquid Drawing Mindset
36:14 Funding Ephemeral Installations
38:06 Energy, Memory And Reality
41:31 Logistics And Documentation
56:15 Advice For Young Artists

Also mentioned in this episode:
MoMA: https://www.moma.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/themuseumofmodernart | @themuseumofmodernart
The Drawing Center: https://drawingcenter.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/drawingcenter/
Biennale of Sydney: https://www.biennaleofsydney.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/biennalesydney/ | @biennaleofsydney
Tokyo Art Museum: https://www.tobikan.jp/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/tokyometropolitanartmuseum/ | @tokyometropolitanartmuseum7280
Louise Bourgeois: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Bourgeois | https://www.instagram.com/artistelouisebourgeois/
Documenta: https://documenta.de/en | https://www.instagram.com/documenta_official | @documenta_official
Bogomir Ecker: https://www.artforum.com/events/bogomir-ecker-2-226647/
Olafur Eliasson: https://olafureliasson.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/studioolafureliasson/ Dian Woodner: https://patronview.com/patrons/dian-woodner
Frac Lorraine: https://www.fraclorraine.org/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/fraclorraine/ | @49nord6est-fraclorraine
Kunstlerhaus Dortmund: https://www.kh-do.de/ | https://www.instagram.com/kuenstlerinnenhaus_dortmund | @kunstlerhausdortmund2577
Kunstmuseum Basel: https://kunstmuseumbasel.ch/ | https://www.instagram.com/kunstmuseumbasel/ | @kumubasel

The Installation Art Podcast is a show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation. The host Anastasia Parmson, an artist herself, interviews internationally renowned artists and arts workers about the intricacies and behind-the-scenes stories of creating and showing work that is site-specific, ephemeral, large scale or immersive.

🔔 Hit subscribe or follow wherever you’re listening to never miss a new episode.

📢 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/installationartpodcast/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@installationartpodcast

📚 More information about the show and previous episodes: www.installationartpodcast.com
Your host Anastasia Parmson: www.anastasiaparmson.art https://www.instagram.com/anastasiaparmson.art/

Get 15% off your .art domain name: https://get.art/?refdotart=art5044n9z17m
promo code: ART5044N9Z17M
Get Carrie's Artist Inventory Template here: https://www.seen.art/store/p/artist-inventory-template
A refreshingly candid conversation with Carrie Scott: curator, art consultant, broadcaster and founder of Seen, a media platform connecting the art world to the real world.
This is our most unfiltered episode yet, where we tackle topics that might "get us in trouble": what consultants actually charge, why artists should have elevator pitches (despite what famous curators say), whether museums should pay artists a percentage of ticket sales, and how galleries claim they'll "find you" while rejecting all submissions.
Carrie's career spans working with major galleries in Seattle and New York, collaborating with Nick Knight for a decade, launching groundbreaking exhibitions and now building a consultancy that refuses to be motivated purely by commission. She is opinionated, pragmatic and genuinely invested in making the art world less intimidating and more transparent.
Key insights from this episode:
• The real numbers: what art consultants charge
• Why Carrie is building an art consultancy that is not centered around transaction
• The controversial debate: should artists have an elevator pitch?
• What galleries mean when they say "don't contact us" (and should you ignore it)?
• Creative health as the third pillar of wellness alongside physical and mental health
• Practical advice for ambitious artists and where to find helpful resources
Carrie Scott is a curator, art historian, consultant and broadcaster based in London. She is the founder of Seen, a media platform and consultancy dedicated to connecting the art world to the real world.
You can find out more about her work at https://www.seen.art/ and follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carriescottcurates/

00:34 Carrie's Favorite Quote
03:34 Background and Early Life
07:13 Journey into Art and Education
09:58 First Job and Early Career Challenges
21:26 Transition to Consulting and Launching Her Own Business
40:24 The Value of Installation Art
43:48 Challenges in Monetizing Installation Art
45:35 Artist-Museum Revenue Sharing
52:05 Curating and Supporting Artists
56:26 Advice for Emerging Artists
01:09:45 Dream Projects and Future Plans

Also mentioned in this episode:
Brothers And Keepers by John Edgar Wideman: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50891912-brothers-and-keepers
Overherd oat milk: https://overherd.uk/ | https://www.instagram.com/overherd.uk
The Wallace Collection: https://www.wallacecollection.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/wallacemuseum | @TheWallacecollection
Jean-Honoré Fragonard: https://www.wikiart.org/en/jean-honore-fragonard
Dickinson College: https://www.dickinson.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/dickinsoncollege | @dsoncollege
Conde Nast: https://www.condenast.com/
University of Washington: https://www.washington.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/uofwa/ | @universityofwashington
Seattle Magazine: https://seattlemag.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/seattlemag/
The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/seattletimes/
Seattle University: https://www.seattleu.edu/ | https://www.instagram.com/seattleu/ | @seattleuniversity
The Stranger: https://www.thestranger.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/thestrangerseattle/
James Harris: https://jamesharrisgallery.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/jamesharrisgallery/
Rashid Johnson: https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/2830-rashid-johnson/ | https://www.instagram.com/rashidjohnson/
Nicole Klagsburn: https://www.nicoleklagsbrun.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/nicole_klagsbrun_inc/
Matt Day Jackson: https://www.hauserwirth.com/viewing-room/matthew-day-jackson/ https://www.instagram.com/matthewdayjackson/
Mika Rottenberg: https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/23390-mika-rottenberg/ | https://www.instagram.com/mikarottenberg/
Jimmy Moffat: https://www.instagram.com/jimmymoff/
Art + Commerce: https://artandcommerce.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/artandcommerce/
Annie Leibovitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Leibovitz | https://www.instagram.com/annieleibovitz/
Steven Meisel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Meisel | https://www.instagram.com/stevenmeiselofficial/
Nick Knight: https://www.nickknight.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/nick_knight/
180 Studios: https://www.180studios.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/180.studios/
The Art Show on Sky Arts: https://www.carrie-scott.com/theartshoq | https://www.instagram.com/artshowtv/ | @theartshow791
Simonette Quamina: https://www.simonettequamina.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/simonette_quamina/
John Pawson:

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