Accessible Arts / arts + disability NSW

Working with video, sculpture, found objects, lights and audio, Kojta developed new work reflecting the legend of Arthur Boyd as well as responding to the creative approach of other artists he met at Bundanon.

In his video work Walking all over my friends, Kojta directs these artists to film the lower half of their
bodies as they walk, and unites their movement with his torso in a choreographed 'derive' through the geography of a single body. The result presents Kojta (wheelchair user) walking through the geography of Arthur Boyd's Bundanon as contemporary flaneur.

Josie Cavallaro, Arts Development Officer at Accessible Arts and Jacqui O’Reilly, Communications Coordinator, took a day trip down to Bundanon to talk with Kojta during his residency.

Josie Cavallaro: Bundanon is located on bush land overlooking the Shoalhaven River, near Nowra in New South Wales. Did this environment influence your work during the residency?

Daniel Kojta: Well, not directly, but definitely narratives within the place have influenced my work and the more time I spent in the environment, in the first week especially, learning more about Boyd, going into the collections, checking out works, hearing stories, everything started to link up and came back in different ways. So this being Boyd’s environment, and the fact that he left this place to the Australian people under the guidance of the government, is a pretty amazing thing. So, I think that it just has that special feel about it. It’s definitely a special place.

Josie Cavallaro: You identify yourself as a new media artist. Why have you decided to situate yourself in new media?

Daniel Kojta: Out of all the mediums I have worked with, the engine of most works is digital in some way or another. There might be elements of painting or drawing, sound, charcoal etc, but everything is sort of drawn together through patches of some new media medium whether it’s film or photography or whatever.

Josie Cavallaro: The residency offers an opportunity to meet other artists. Can you tell us about how that’s worked for you?

Daniel Kojta: It was really exciting for me to see and discuss with other artists in similar and not so similar areas, the work that they were doing and what was inspiring them, what they were using, what they had access to. It’s been a great opportunity to discuss that without the stresses of normal life, like you have to leave or get back at a certain time. I ended up hooking up with media artist and artistic director Wade Marynowsky and we went on various field trips together for photography or video, both assisting each other in various projects, and discussing projects with each other. We seem to have similar methodology when it comes to practise and ended up having a really good time together. Everyone I met has definitely played a part in influencing my work.

Jacqui O’Reilly: This residency is targeted to give a person with a disability a specific opportunity. Where does that position you here at the Bundanon?

Daniel Kojta: Well, within myself, I consider it an equal playing ground. I don’t think that I’ve had any better chance than anyone else, because they’ve applied through whatever area they’ve applied and they’ve gotten a residency as well. And there are quite a few different ways of getting here. It’s been an incredible opportunity, lots of amazing work has come out of it that I am really happy with. It will keep my practise going until the end of the year at least and into the next year.

Find out more about the Accessible Arts Bundanon Residency.

Read about the residency from the artist's perspective - Into the [B]Void: A residency experience at Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon.