Essence of Containment is Vicki McConville’s ongoing studio based research project. The project was initiated at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia as part of a PhD (Fine Art / Research). These images feature the interior installations and exterior projections presented at Halka Art Space – Istanbul, Turkey.

Between 2011 and 2017 Vicki McConville was an Artist in Resident in Venice, Istanbul, Delhi, Beijing, all major sites on historical and contemporary ‘trade routes’. The residencies involved collection of visual, sound and text based research materials followed by creative production, international collaborations and presentations. 

The project initially investigated travel, trade and the personal transformation impact on images and iconography and involved creative production in projections, video, sound, print media and diorama constructions. 

The research involves exploring how travel and trade are immersive methodologies that lead to the transformation of iconographies. In essence, how ‘the container’ of trade changed the world. 

The concept of ‘the container’ has since been further explored as it relates to the use of psychedelics as a means of personal transformation. 

The work, still in progress, has been shown at Monash University, Melbourne, Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venice, Italy, Sanskriti Foundation Delhi, the C.e.C, Bhimtal, India, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India and at the Atelier Mondial , Basel, as part of Art Basel, Switzerland.