Angelica Mesiti, one of Australia's most-acclaimed artists, on her love of the unexpected

In the bright upper levels of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Naala Badu building in Sydney, Angelica Mesiti leads me down a broad, white spiral staircase and into the art space known as "The Tank."

She is the second artist to exhibit in this dark, cavernous basement of the gallery, a space that was once an oil tank during World War II. The faint smell of oil still lingers, and stout beams extend from the floor to the ceiling.

The only light in the room comes from the bright video screens arranged along the walls: Mesiti's latest captivating artwork, "The Rites of When." This work, themed around dance and song, reimagines rituals associated with seasonal cycles in an era of environmental uncertainty.

Paris-based Mesiti is one of Australia's most acclaimed contemporary artists, having exhibited her work at major institutions around the world and represented Australia at the prestigious Venice Biennale in 2019. Her immersive, sensory artworks are often presented via multiple large video screens, rich in content and with excellent sound effects. Mesiti says, "My work often involves music, dance, group performance, and playing together, as a way of thinking about who we are and how we exist today."

In the new ABC Arts series "What Sparks Art," we interview several prominent artists to learn about their sources of inspiration and the motivations that drive their creation. For Mesiti, inspiration comes from "being in the external world" – her daily experiences, her observations on the street, what she reads, or the exhibitions she visits. As she puts it, "It's important [as an artist] to stay curious and to notice things... to walk through the world with all your receptors open, letting things in."

Mesiti likens her creative process to that of a bowerbird collecting objects, "and then you start to see patterns emerge." Her latest work began with ideas and observations she jotted down in the notes app on her phone.

Mesiti shared her habit of browsing flea markets when she travels, saying, "I find it really interesting to look at everyday objects in other countries, and what people keep. They're often not things of great value. It's like an everyday museum." She also talked about the influence of the Paris Metro on her: "The Metro is a bit like a microcosm, condensing everything that's happening in a city. By observing what's happening on the Metro, you get a good sense of the residents of a place."

Mesiti also mentioned that she has loved dancing since she was a child and is interested in why humans dance. She says, "We've been dancing since we've had history, and it feels like one of our basic human needs." She explained that "The Rites of When" attempts to reimagine traditional folk dances and place them in contemporary contexts, such as in a parking garage in Paris, with young people dancing in puffer jackets, Doc Martens, and Adidas.

Mesiti also talked about her Italian heritage, saying, "In the summertime, especially in southern Italy, there are lots of big festivals around Catholic saints. There will be processions through the streets... they're both celebratory and solemn, which I find really interesting – that expressive exuberance in the Italian character, but also with that very solemn, guilt-ridden Catholic element."

Finally, Mesiti shared her experiences living in Paris, saying, "Paris, for me, has been a very nourishing place to exist as an artist. There are museums, access to a huge amount of contemporary and historical art – and I think there's a deep respect for artists in France." She added that the French have an amazing belief in defending their rights and beliefs, which has deeply influenced her artistic career.

Angelica Mesiti's exhibition, "The Rites of When," is on display at the Nelson Packer Tank in the Naala Badu building of the Art Gallery of New South Wales until May 11, 2025.