In Inner Sanctum, 24 artists and poets delve into the concepts of refuge and sanctuary, envisioning the living dreams and nightmares of the 21st century.

Exploring the private and sacred spaces we create brings to mind Wendell Berry’s quote about sacred and desecrated places: there is only one or the other. Across five parts, this exhibition unpacks our engagement with the world and each other; it’s overwhelming, and repeat visits are recommended as ideas flow from deep time, atmosphere, and memoir to cultural collisions. As we careen into neo-feudalism, artefacts of colonisation look strikingly, and ironically, beautiful against William Morris wallpaper, lulling you along the river of global cultural exchange, as we conveniently forget Japan was forced to open for trade in 1854. Then, abruptly, you collide with Jasmine Togo-Brisby’s epic sculpture As Above, So Below, a piece of truth-telling about Australia’s history.

Each individual creator seeks to discover the building blocks of life based on an assumption that simple, elegant structures can explain how the world works, indeed are necessary to understand the uncertain relationships surrounding human and physical systems across multiple fields of inquiry. In an age of multiplicity, perhaps immersing oneself in gifts that may have been forgotten can heal.

Inner Sanctum: 2024 Adelaide Biennal Of Australian Art, Art Gallery of South Australia, until 2 June; picture: Heather B Swann, Place For Sea Dreamers, 2022 Setouchi Triennale; Main picture: Heather B. Swann, Place For Sea Dreamers, 2022 Setouchi Triennale.