From bedrotting to erotic art by Lucy Liu, these artists talk about being lonely
The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art has launched an exhibition titled 'Are you lonely tonight? I’m so lonesome I could cry' to explore the modern epidemic of loneliness. Curated by Myles Russell-Cook and Sophie Prince, the project features 11 artists, including Lucy Liu, who use various mediums to visualize the often-stigmatized emotion of loneliness.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing global recognition of loneliness as a public health issue and the role of art in fostering social connection and empathy.
Tapestry artist Kayla Mattes reflects the online world with her handwoven works. ( Supplied: ACCA/Kayla Mattes/Andrew Curtis )
Link copied Share Share article In 2018, the United Kingdom became the first country in the world to appoint a Minister for Loneliness.
And while this prompted numerous headlines and think pieces around the world — redoubled when Japan followed suit in 2021 — the move makes perfect sense to Myles Russell-Cook.
"I get lonely; I think everyone does," says the artistic director and CEO of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) in Naarm/Melbourne.
Sophie Prince and Myles Russell-Cook are the curators behind ACCA's exhibition: Are you lonely tonight? I’m so lonesome I could cry. ( Supplied: ACCA/Astrid Mulder )
"We've got a loneliness epidemic, but there's been a strange resistance on the part of even psychiatrists to define loneliness."
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