Community Always | Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts| Episode 53*
For our latest instalment of Community Always, adidas Originals shines a spotlight on the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA). Housed in the historic Perth Boys School building at the heart of Perth’s Cultural Centre since 1991, PICA stands as a vital sanctuary for local, national, and international contemporary art.
Through exhibitions, live performances, artist residencies, and development programs, PICA creates space for creatives to test ambitious ideas and build long-term careers. At the centre of this mission sits Hatched: National Graduate Show, an annual landmark exhibition that for 35 years has served as a proving ground for Australia's most promising emerging artists.
Here, we speak with the team at PICA about the legacy of Hatched, their upcoming residency collaboration with local literary magazine ARTERY, and why community remains at the core of everything they do.
Explain PICA/Hatched and what makes it unique?
PICA is the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. We’ve been housed in the iconic Perth Boys School at the heart of Perth’s Cultural Centre since 1991—although we’re still sometimes confused with our neighbours, the Picabar! PICA presents and produces local, Australian and international contemporary art through exhibitions, performances, artist residencies and development programs. Through these outputs, PICA supports artists to develop ambitious new ideas, connect with audiences and build sustainable creative careers. For the last 35 years, the Hatched: National Graduate Show has sat at the core of these commitments, introducing audiences to the next wave of contemporary artists, bringing together a diverse cohort each year who test concepts and innovative ways of making. With an alumni list of over 1,500 names, Hatched artists go on to become leading figures in Australia’s contemporary art world. At the 2024 Venice Biennale, Kamilaroi/Bigambul artist Archie Moore, a 1998 Hatched alum, was awarded the Golden Lion, while 2005 Hatched alum Khaled Sabsabi is currently representing Australia at this year’s Biennale. Both have returned to Hatched recently to judge the Dr Harold Schenberg Arts Awards, presented for the last 17 years to the most exceptional artists in the exhibition.
Are there any exciting upcoming moments you'd like to share?
This year, as part of PICA’s Studio Program, we’ve collaborated with ARTERY, a local literary magazine, to support local writers through a four-week onsite residency. Together, we selected four emerging writers from over 100 applications to spend their studio time responding to a work in the 2026 Hatched exhibition. Their outcomes will appear in ARTERY’s Issue #5, released later in the year. We’re definitely looking forward to that!
How important is community to PICA/Hatched?
Community is at the heart of PICA. We follow artists, staying in conversation with them, and responding to their needs—big or small. Our evolving artistic program focuses on real world topics and timely discourse. We hope to be an accessible and welcoming place for visitors to encounter contemporary arts, where artists and audiences feel valued and cared for. Embodying this, Hatched plays a major role in amplifying the endeavours of emerging artists, while giving PICA’s community a glimpse into the future of contemporary art practice.
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