WHEN YOUR NUMBER’S UP (2026), Arts House Melbourne

Do you need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind blows?

The world is full of amateur oracles. Some tell you who you will marry, how many children you will have and how rich you will be. Some say they know the world is ending and why. Others tell themselves they know which horse will be first.

Consciousness is an eternal condition of knowing and not knowing. This anxiety has created a range of professions and occupations: fortune teller, rainmaker, soothsayer, stock broker. For better or for worse – where there are questions, big and small – there are those who say they know the answer. No question too big or small, not if there’s an outcome worth speculating on; jpeg art markets, housing prices, global supply chains or the outcome of war.

I’ll tell you how rich you will be because I know who wins the race, who you will marry because the dating app algorithm has found your perfect match (Please subscribe to premium to chat). Divine favour has revealed to me what lies beyond. I’ve trained a thousand computers on a thousand ancient texts and its generative wisdom has shown me the true face of God.

Some are clairvoyant through divine gift, others are backed by machine learning – staring into the Promethean flame of LED screens.

Hedge your bets, check your flanks, read your tea leaves, break yarrow stalks, throw coins, save for the rainy day, engage in insider trading and put it all on black because you have to stand out in the rain to get struck by lightning and one day you’ll know when your number’s up.

When I grew up and fell in love I asked my sweetheart, “What lies ahead? Will we have rainbows day after day?” Here’s what my sweetheart said:

16:9 Digital Animation Projection

2x LED Panel Sculpture works (P2 LED Panels, Welded Steel Stands)

128x A6 Paper Divination Pamphlets

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Lead Artist: Rel Pham

Audio Design: Shaun Connor

Installation Assistance: Daniel Joe Curtis and Arts House Team

Made with support from WashDog Studios via their residency program as well as construction and fabrication support from FabWorkshop