The winners of ModCon, the Australian Embassy digital art competition, were recently announced to be Hasanuddin University student Anisa Shabrina Yunus from Makassar, Sulawesi, and University of Western Australia student Alannah Scorer from Perth, Western Australia. Their artworks received the most number of votes on the Embassy’s Instagram account (@KedubesAustralia). After meeting Anisa last week, this week we hear from Alannah Scorer about what she hopes to convey with her intriguing, multifaceted work Different, and how she feels competitions like ModCon strengthen cultural ties.

Anti-socialite by Alannah Scorer. Image: Australian Embassy, Jakarta

Different by Alannah Scorer. Image: Australian Embassy, Jakarta

Congratulations Alannah on being the Australian winner of ModCon! Where in Australia are you from? How does this place influence your art?

Thanks so much! I am from Perth, Western Australia. Perth is a place waiting to be discovered, from the beautiful beaches, urban cityscapes and rural bushlands (a few hours out). I would say that Perth has influenced my art as over the years we as individuals learn to view suburbia with a unique eye, to see what makes my town different from the next. Everything, even small ‘boring’ suburbs can be beautiful with the right mindset and outlook on life.

Your artwork is an intriguing composition of many items, at the forefront of which is the phrase ‘Anti-socialite’. What does this collection of items represent about you as a person? What message in particular were you hoping to convey to viewers about the artist behind the artwork?

This artwork was sporadically placed in such a way that represented where my head can sometimes be at as a student. Focusing on everything from love to assignments, and everything in between can be excruciatingly hard work. ‘Anti-socialite’ is a visual representation of ‘dream-like’ and ‘uneasy’ feelings that I wanted to convey, about how I personally handle those daily tasks. As an artist, I wanted the viewers to study each item individually, and then look back at the image, as a whole, and search for their own interpretation.

How did you hear about the ModCon competition, and what prompted you to enter?

I heard about ModCon though an online notice by my University tutor. At first, I did not want to enter, worrying about putting more pressure on myself, but then after persuasion from family members and personal motivation, I thought ‘why not? What’s the worst that can happen?’ …and I’m so glad I did!

What do you hope to gain from your time in Indonesia? What are you most excited about?

I have visited Indonesia (Bali) once before and loved the strong culture and friendly locals. I am hoping to gain some hands-on advice on how to better my digital art from international professionals.

What are your goals or aspirations for when you return from Indonesia?

My goals/aspirations for my return would be to come back with a new mindset about producing digital art. I would love to return to my country with a certain drive to get straight into creating more artworks and producing what I love (with better skills and more knowledge).

How do you feel about the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, and what do you think creative exchanges such as ModCon can bring to the relationship?

I believe the relationship between Indonesia and Australia is extremely strong. I think the Australian Embassy is doing such a cool and innovative new thing, which should definitely be experienced by students who are interested in digital art/filmmaking. As an Australian, I believe creative exchanges such as ModCon bring the Australian and Indonesian ties closer together, as ModCon enables winning entrants to explore and learn in a whole new place (a place that they might not be able to experience otherwise).

View all shortlisted entries on the Embassy website. To learn more about ModCon head here, and if you’re a digital artist make sure you remember it for next year! Alannah is on Instagram: @laniscorer.