Curating Change: Tides & Transformation at The Gladstone
Romulus Folio Gallery was proud to present Tides & Transformation, an exhibition by Angelina Mirabito, as part of our ongoing programming at The Gladstone. Timed alongside the Melbourne Design Show, this project explored the emotional and material layers of transformation, not only within the artwork itself, but in how it engaged with the community and space around it.
The exhibition opened on the evening of Day Two of the Design Show, drawing a diverse and engaged crowd. The Gladstone residents, some of whom had taken part in palette knife painting workshops with Angelina, joined us for what was also their monthly social gathering. This marked our first exhibition opening held in collaboration with The Gladstone’s social night, and the energy of the evening was electric. Some of the residents who participated in the workshops had their work exhibited as part of Tides & Transformation exhibition, adding a powerful, collective dimension to the show: a reminder that transformation is not only a theme of the exhibition, but something actively lived through community and creative expression.
Angelina’s work is grounded in process and reclamation. Reused shipping pallets, layered canvases, and fragments of previous artworks carry visible histories — gestures of erosion, recovery, and renewal. Installed within the Romulus Folio Gallery at The Gladstone, the works created a contemplative environment that echoed the exhibition’s themes while resonating with the building’s industrial character. The gallery space provided a focused context in which to experience the materiality and nuance of the work.
The exhibition also featured a short video piece Scott Ross created in response to Angelina’s work; a contemplative extension of the themes explored in the show. Rather than explaining the work, the video aimed to open up space for feeling and reflection, integrating movement and light into the viewer’s experience. As part of Romulus Folio’s curatorial direction, we’re continually exploring how moving image, installation, and physical space can interact to deepen the way we encounter contemporary art.
At the Melbourne Design Show, we were excited by the strong interest in Angelina’s work, particularly in relation to interior impact walls, large-scale, site-specific pieces that integrate art directly into architectural and domestic environments. These conversations confirmed something we’ve long believed at Romulus Folio: art doesn’t have to sit quietly on the sidelines. It can define the atmosphere of a space, hold memory, and transform how we experience our surroundings.
Tides & Transformation is ultimately a meditation on change— personal, material, and communal. It reflects how environments shape us and how we shape them in return. We’re proud to have hosted this exhibition with The Gladstone and grateful to the residents, visitors, and creative collaborators who made it such a meaningful project.
A special thank you to the duet Ignacio A Rodriguez and Chelsea Syed for making the night extra special.
The exhibition continues until Saturday, July 5th, and we warmly invite you to visit, take your time, and experience this thoughtful body of work in person.
Romulus Folio Gallery at The Gladstone
15–85 Gladstone Street, South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Wed–Fri 12–7pm | Sat & Sun 2–5pm | or by appointment
