Regional Arts Fund: The Space in Between
22/01/2026
In May 2025, filmmaker-photographer Jamil Hassan and painter and installation artist Liesel Arden opened their collaborative exhibition The Space In Between at the Nulla Nulla Regional Gallery. It was a reflective and collaborative exhibition exploring the quiet moments of existence, capturing the interplay of light, water, and energy to evoke deep connection to self, culture and environment.
“The exhibition emerged from their personal explorations into themes that reflect the nuance of nature. It captures the delicate shift of first light, the cadence of breath, and the ebb and flow of tides. It is a meditation on how all elements intersect and interact in the cycles of water and energy — examining change, continuity, and the equilibrium of dualities. It is in the calm and quiet moments in nature that they seek to delve deeper into the essence of time and space.” (Nulla Nulla Regional Gallery)
This project was supported by the Regional Arts Fund Quick Response Grants program, which provided the artists with last-minute support to hire the projection and lighting equipment they needed.
According to the artists, this exhibition was a deeply rewarding experience, exceeding their expectations of community impact and professional development. They were able to introduce immersive, multidisciplinary art to audiences who hadn’t experienced it before, and they helped the newly updated Nulla Nulla Regional Gallery reposition themselves as a regional arts destination by drawing in audiences from the surrounding areas.
The artists developed new partnerships that will benefit their career long term. Some examples are Arts Mid North Coast, Glasshouse Gallery, and YAM Coffs Harbour, who are now in conversation with them about future touring and collaboration opportunities.
For them, a personal highlight was witnessing visitors of all different ages interact with the exhibition. They said, “[The audience’s] responses – curious, open, reflective – affirmed the value of offering people in rural areas access to complex and poetic forms of storytelling.”
Audience testimonials affirm this, with one visitor saying, “It was a very grounding, inspiring & energising feeling being in the space of this exhibition. The work had the ability to make me look at nature and the magic of everyday. It really captures the natural wonders around us that we miss all the time. A beautiful and important reminder.”
Another said, “I loved the lighting and sound combined with the beautiful paintings and photographs. The feeling of the space made it possible to sink into a deep feeling of resonance with the work. It made me feel really connected to nature and to light.”
The impact of The Space In Between was extremely significant for Hassan and Arden, reminding us how important it is to fund regional projects, so that local artists can make significant contributions to their communities.
“This project has had a lasting impact on both our practices. It validated the importance of collaboration, pushed our technical boundaries, and raised our profiles across the regional arts sector. We are now in a stronger position to tour the work and continue contributing meaningfully to the cultural life of regional Australia.”
Congratulations to Jamil Hassan and Liesel Arden for their wonderful exhibition!
Images: Jamil Hassan and Liesel Arden, “The Space in Between”, exhibition view. Photos by Jamil Hassan.
The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government program that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote communities in Australia. The program is managed by Regional Arts Australia and administered in New South Wales by Regional Arts NSW.