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James Newitt, Passive Aggressive (2009) video still courtesy of the artist and Criterion Gallery |
tasmanian spring
Having recently won the 2010 City of Hobart Art Prize (digital category) for his video work Dreams, Tasmanian artist James Newitt has now been included in the 2010 Primavera Exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. This time, however, it's his work Passive Aggressive (2009) that has attracted attention. Primavera 2010, which focuses on Australian artists under 35, also includes Akira Akira, Julie Fragar, Emma White, Jackson Slattery and Agatha Gothe-Snape. If you’re in Sydney, it’s always worth a look: last year spat+loogie smashed pie in people’s faces (2009); the year before that Soda_Jerk screened their 3-channel video installation Astro Black: A History of Hip-Hop (Episodes 0-2) (2009). It’s on from August 19 to November 21. http://www.mca.com.au/
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MM Yu, Waste Living 2009, duratran and lightbox, dimensions variable photo courtesy of the artist |
water in the west
Still in Sydney, though a little further west, the Campbelltown Arts Centre is facilitating The River Project, a major new project comprising an exhibition, publication, performance, and education and public programs. Featuring artists from Australia, China, India, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea, the River Project explores how “river systems reflect our interconnectedness, our fragility and our history” (press release). Events will be held at the centre itself as well as at sites along the Upper Georges River. The River Project, Campbelltown Arts Centre; August 28-October 24; http://www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au
blues & birthdays
Also in Sydney, the New Music Network has three concerts coming up. First, on August 24, is a concert by Continuum Sax and Match Percussion, with guests Natsuko Yoshimoto and Roland Peelman, where they will premiere Brian Howard’s Last Blues. Borrowing its title from Cesare Pavese, Howard’s compositions “invokes memory and loss through a compelling and yet fragile dialogue between the violin and ensemble” (press release). The second concert features An Infinity Room (AIR), a new ensemble comprising various synthesisers, keyboards and electronic organs. AIR, playing on September 3, “uses graphic scores, simple performance techniques and semi-improvised structures to create a haunting aura of drones and rich harmonic fields” (press release). Last but not least, Speak Percussion celebrate their 10th birthday by performing some of the oeuvre on September 20. The works are all focused around the keyboard percussion family and were premiered by the group. Continuum Sax and Match Percussion, Eugene Goossens Hall, ABC Centre Ultimo, August 24; AIR, Recital Hall East, Sydney Conservatorium, September 3; Speak Percussion, Recital Hall East, Sydney Conservatorium, September 25; http://www.newmusicnetwork.com.au
analogue love in a digital age
In the era of the iPod, the mix tape has a certain old school charm. Mix Tape is also the title of choreographer Stephanie Lake’s contribution to The Next Move, a series of performances created by the next generation of dance makers, commissioned and presented by Chunky Move. Mix Tape is, according to the press release, “about love. Driven by an eclectic and personal set of songs as well as recorded interviews, this new dance work cleverly illuminates experiences of regret, desire, ecstasy and disillusionment.” Choreographer Stephanie Lake graduated from VCA in 2002 and has spent the past ten years dancing for Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc and BalletLab. She has choreographed several short works as well as two larger participatory dance works: one in 2009 for 100 people that was performed in Federation Square and another in 2010 for a City of Melbourne mob dance for 400 dancers performed in Bourke Street Mall. Chunky Move, Mix Tape, Chunky Move Studios, September 2-11; http://www.chunkymove.com.au/
a clothes line resurrected
Still in Melbourne, check out Not Yet It’s Difficult’s HOIST, which was commissioned by Federation Square’s Occupy program and created by David Pledger. HOIST consists of a general public participatory program by day and a screening program by night. In partnership with Melbourne Writers Festival, NYID is working with professional writers, commissioned artists and schools to populate the over-sized Hills Hoist with paraphernalia themed around this icon of the Australian suburbs. The company is also launching a book, Making Contemporary Theatre, in which the work of NYID is critically contextualised by company dramaturg Peter Eckersall. NYID, HOIST; Federation Square, August 27-September 9; http://www.notyet.com.au/ and http://www.hoistmelbourne.com.au/
re-enacting time
The Australia Experimental Art Foundation, in collaboration with Mildura Palimpsest, is hosting a series of installations, performances and talks for the (to) give time to time project. The project examines ephemeral and time-based practices and the impact of Mildura Sculpturescape (1969-78) on Australian contemporary art practice. It will, according to the website, “do this by making historical links” and “re-enacting key works.” Collaborators include Tim Burns, Barbara Campbell, Bonita Ely, Domenico de Clario, and Eugenio Carcheso. There is also a symposium, launched by Robyn Archer, and featuring Maudie Palmer, Judith Blackall, Rex Butler, Edward Colless, Brenda Croft, Anne Sanders, Juliana Engberg, Neil Fettling, Mark Minchinton, Marco Marcon, Glenny Barkley, and Stelarc. (to) give time to time, Curated by Matthew Perkins and Elena Galimberti, Adeladie August 20-September 18, Mildura September 17-19; http://aeaf.org.au and http://www.artsmildura.com.au/palimpsest/mildurasite.asp
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Sheena Pham and Kathy Nguyen, Mother Fish photo courtesy of Titan View |
a refugee trilogy
Khoa Do is a regular in RealTime’s pages, appearing as both a theatre and film director (The Finished People). His latest effort Mother Fish, about two sisters who make the journey from Vietnam to Australia by boat, has been both a play and a film: the play debuted in 2008 (RT86) and the film premiered (as Missing Water) in 2009 at the Sydney Film Festival. Mother Fish the first film in a planned Refugee Trilogy (the second, Falling for Sahara, is in post-production while the third is still in the planning stages). You can see the film in a few places over the next few weeks. As part of an Amnesty International tour it will be screening in Geelong on August 29, as well as Deakin and Mercury Cinema (details coming soon). It will then tour in September as part of the Mobile AFI Awards. Screenings will be held at Nova (Vic) on September 1, Cinema Paris (NSW) on September 5, the Orpheum (NSW) on September 18, ACMI (Vic) September 19. Finally, it will also be screening at the Oz Film Festival (SA) on September 18. http://www.motherfish.com.au/
sense and censorship
It would appear that, for the moment at least, common sense has prevailed over state protectionism. Thanks to a campaign spearheaded by Get Up! and supported by activists around the country, the Labor party has deferred its internet filter until 2012 and the Coaltion has dumped the policy altogether. It remains to be seen whether “filter 2.0” will bear any resemblance to the first filter (examined by Melinda Rackham here), but with the Greens, Xenophon, and the Coalition now walking away from the policy, it looks unlikely.
RealTime issue #98 Aug-Sept 2010 pg. web
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