Workshop 1: (16 +, Incinerator Gallery) Bring an object you like, choose one from the objects provided, or find something around the gallery grounds. Explore its surface through touch and press into the clay to leave an impression in your tile.  

Workshops 2: (16+, Ascot Vale Library) Write or bring a short poem or phrase that explores hope. Learn how to translate words into marks and patterns, drawing inspiration from shorthand notation and Braille.  

Workshop 3: (16+ Incinerator Gallery) Use special tools and Braille stamps to transcribe your translation from workshop 2 onto clay tiles. 

Book for the November 28  workshop via the Link below
Circulations - Clay Poetry Workshop with Olivia Chin and Nina Nervegna

Nina Nervegna and Olivia Chin are a collaborative duo investigating the intersections of design, ecology, and material memory across Naarm-Melbourne. Nina is a designer at Garner Davis Architects and co-runs Cellar, an experimental architectural project exploring prosthetic interventions for nonhumans in civic space.  

Olivia is a multidisciplinary artist whose work in sculpture, textiles, and painting examines temporality, material transformation, and the continual evolution of resources.  

Together they create works that archive and reimagine urban ecologies, addressing cycles of loss, displacement, and renewal through material experimentation and spatial storytelling. 

• Bring a small object to explore in workshop 1, or choose from items we provide 
• Optional: bring a poem for workshop 2, or write your own.  

• Wear clothes you don’t mind getting clay on  

• Light refreshments, materials and tools provided  

Both Ascot Vale Library & Incinerator Gallery are fully accessible buildings.  

While the Incinerator accommodates accessibility, some activities may be on grass. We welcome participants with accessibility needs and encourage you to contact us in advance so we can plan accordingly.

Olivia Chin has previously exhibited at Incinerator Gallery with Body Field (7 December 2024 – 19 January 2025). The exhibition explored connections between the body and landscape through expressive paintings and collaborative textile works, reflecting experiences of illness, place, and our relationship with the natural environment.

Body Field along with Olivias second series of works titled Circulation are permanently installed in Ascot Vale Library on the second level, Circulation reflects a collaboration between more than 20 community members, Moonee Valley Libraries, and the Incinerator Gallery.

Incinerator Gallery - Olivia Chin - Circulation

For any questions about the workshop, contact us at publicart@mvcc.vic.gov.au(opens in new tab)