Developing Mortal Reflections: from conversation to cultural milestone

Exhibitions rarely begin fully formed. More often, they start with a conversation – a possibility that slowly gathers shape through trust, collaboration, and ambition.

For Sam Jinks || Mortal Reflections at Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, that process unfolded over many months, evolving from a single artwork into one of the most significant exhibitions in the institution’s history.

As QVMAG Lead Curator Dr Kellie Wells reflects, the project began modestly: “Initial explorations centred on loaning a single major sculpture, Woman and Child.” That work, now encountered at the threshold of the exhibition, became the starting point for something much larger.

From there, a broader vision emerged.

Image: Installing Sam Jinks' sculpture Mother and Child at the Art Gallery at Royal Park. Photo: QVMAG.

Over the course of a year, conversations deepened between artist Sam Jinks, curators, lenders, and the wider QVMAG team. What began as a single artwork loan transformed into a fully realised exhibition – one that would bring together key works by Sam from across Australia and situate them in dialogue with each other.

The result is a carefully orchestrated experience, where each sculpture is positioned with intention, and sightlines carry meaning across rooms.

Image: The QVMAG team carefully plans the installation of Sam Jinks' Medusa/Beloved. Photo: QVMAG.

“Each work was carefully chosen and positioned… to form a harmonious and powerfully emotional arc through time and space,” Wells explains.

This level of coordination is no small feat. Jinks’ works are held in collections across the world and are rarely seen together in such scale. Drawing them into one place required not only logistical precision, but deep relationships built on professionalism and care.

The outcome is a milestone moment: the first time a single artist has occupied the entire first floor of QVMAG’s Royal Park site, and the largest collection of Jinks’ work ever shown together.

Image: Exhibition view of Sam Jinks || Mortal Reflections in Gallery 10 at QVMAG's Art Gallery at Royal Park. Photo: QVMAG.

Yet the exhibition is not only about what has been brought together – it is also about what has been created in the process.

At its heart sits a major new commission: a monumental orb-weaving spider developed specifically for Tasmania. For Jinks, the work represents a long-held idea finally realised. “I’ve tried many times to make a similar work, but it never felt like the right time,” he shared. “To have the opportunity to finally see this through is a great honour.”

For QVMAG, the commission signals something broader.

“This is more than a new acquisition,” Wells says. “It is a public statement of belief.” Investment in a work of this scale reflects a commitment not only to artistic excellence, but to cultural leadership – affirming that significant, ambitious art belongs within regional communities as much as in capital cities.

Image: Sam Jinks discusses rigging his sculpture Eternal Return with QVMAG's Kellie Wells and Tobias Jahke. Photo: QVMAG.

The development of the spider itself speaks to the exhibition’s collaborative nature. Jinks spent time working with QVMAG’s collections and specialists, grounding the sculpture in both observation and research. This cross-disciplinary exchange – between art and science, artist and institution – echoes the museum’s wider role as a space for knowledge, connection, and discovery.

“This process… has resulted in a work that is uniquely Tasmanian in origin and global in impact,” Wells notes.

Behind the scenes, the exhibition’s creation relied on an extensive network of contributors. From curatorial and exhibitions teams to designers, fabricators, technicians, and community partners, the project reflects a collective effort.

Image: QVMAG's Kellie Wells discusses the River Styx pool for The Messenger (Iris) with Graham Hoar from Tasman Metal Industries. Photo: QVMAG.

Some solutions required ingenuity. The installation of The Messenger (Iris), for example, required the construction of a functioning pool within the gallery space to represent the River Styx. This challenge brought together creative problem-solving and local industry expertise from the team at Tasman Metal Industries – one of many moments where practical complexity met artistic vision.

These layers of collaboration – visible and invisible – are integral to the exhibition’s success. They speak to the capacity of regional institutions to deliver projects of national significance when supported by strong networks and shared belief.

Image: Unboxing Sam Jinks' sculpture, Medusa/Beloved. Photo: QVMAG.

At its core, however, Mortal Reflections remains grounded in the experience of the visitor.

Jinks’ sculptures are known for their hyperrealism, but as Wells suggests, their impact goes beyond likeness. “They don’t just imitate life – they hold multiplicities of feeling.” Each figure carries a quiet emotional weight, inviting reflection on ageing, care, grief, and connection.

In this way, the exhibition becomes more than a display of objects. It is a space for slowing down, for noticing, and for encountering the subtle details that shape human experience.

As visitors move through the gallery, they are encouraged to take their time. “These works are best encountered quietly,” Wells says. “They don’t demand attention, they invite it.”

Image: A visitor admires The Messenger (Iris) in Gallery 9 at the Art Gallery at Royal Park. Photo: QVMAG.

That invitation extends beyond the gallery walls.

Sam Jinks || Mortal Reflections represents a moment of confidence – in the power of art, in the role of regional galleries, and in the value of bringing ambitious cultural experiences to local communities. It demonstrates what can happen when institutions think expansively, collaborate deeply, and invest in long-term impact.

What began as a single conversation has become something enduring: a shared cultural experience shaped by many hands, and one that will remain part of Launceston’s artistic legacy for years to come.

Image: A visitor in Sam Jinks || Mortal Reflections at the Art Gallery at Royal Park. Photo: QVMAG.

 

Discover more about Mortal Reflections