Satellite - Melbourne Art Fair Foundation commission.

Satellite have been working with the Melbourne Art Fair to present an exciting new project, being unveiled on Thursday 31st July 2008.

Satellite is delighted to present R.U.R. a bold new work by Ronnie van Hout that will be presented during the 2008 Melbourne Art Fair. Situated in the forecourt of the Royal Exhibition Buildings, this exciting temporary public sculpture will activate the space between the Melbourne Museum and the Royal Exhibition Buildings and provide a site for audiences to gather.

Van Hout's sculpture is an eight metre long robot, lying prone on the concrete paving of the forecourt as if it has just fallen. Its dark grey form echoes the concrete block design of the forecourt and playfully critiques the monumental modernist public furniture nearby. Art Fair and Museum audiences and passersby will be invited to touch, engage with, even sit on the robot, which will be installed from 31 July to 3 August 2008.

Ronnie van Hout has an extensive exhibition history in New Zealand, where he was born, Australia, and internationally including Germany, Austria, Lithuania, and USA since 1981. He is widely considered one of New Zealand's most important contemporary artists of his generation. His work is held numerous important contemporary collections including Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, USA; National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Monash University Collection, Australia; Auckland Art Gallery, Wellington City Gallery, and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand. He is represented by Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney, Australia, Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington, and Ivan Anthony Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand.