The theme of this selection of photographs Trickster Remakes This World is inspired by the book Trickster Makes This World by Lewis Hyde. Tricksters can be seen as archetypal characters who appear in the myths of many different cultures. Lewis Hyde describes the trickster as a ‘boundary crosser’. He/she is not what we might think of as a ‘trickster’, he is not a fraudster or a conman but rather a figure who crosses and often breaks both physical and societal rules. Tricksters ‘violate principles of social and natural order playfully disrupting normal life and then re-establishing it on a new basis'.

Trickster appears when needed, when societal norms need to be re-assessed. And so the book has various ruses to challenge our views and our perceptions of the world around us. We have taken a selection of ruses from the book and created responses to them using photography and installations.

Some of the ruses can be viewed in two ways - firstly a fairly literal interpretation, and then after a little more thought or discussion a more oblique or thoughtful alternative often emerges. It has been a challenge to think through the possible responses to these ruses and even more to create visual interpretations. The images created here vary across the scale from the literal to the more interpretive. Have a look at the ruses and see if you come up with the same idea, or if you have new responses of your own!

In order from top left:

1. Lifts the old shame threshold and places them in new doorways by Jonny Baker
2. Works with happenstance, chance, accidents by Edmond Terakopian
3. Enlivens with mischief by Brigitte Flock
4. Opens roads between heaven and earth by Robin Segulem
5. Stumbles upon the lucky find by Arun Misra
6. Escape from expected patterns by Dorota Boisot
7. Enlivens with mischief by Brigitte Flock
8. Stumbles upon the lucky find by Arun Misra
9. Creates opportunities ad hoc when they do not occur by themselves by Kyun Ngui
10. Confuses polarities by Chris Bellinger
11. Redefines who is in and out by Robert Vass
12. Makes impermeable boundaries porous by Frankie McAllister
13. Speaks shamelessly by Richard Baker
14. Is at home with contradictions and paradox by Ray Malcolm
15. Wanders aimlessly by Angelika Berndt
16. Shifts shape by Melissa Lestari
17. Hangs around the doorway by Sean McDonnell
18. Changes skin by Dan Dodman

This photo album includes the set up, coyote sticker trail, installations, opening night, interventions.

Here is a video of the flipdot board with ruses scrolling at the exhibtion.

And for the record here is a link to the exhibition poster, the explanation poster , the ruses poster and the wheel of ruses