You Could Be One of the Faces of the Museum of Brisbane's New Love Letter to the City
This upcoming, semi-permanent interactive exhibition means to hold a mirror to Brisbanites.
If you love Brisbane as much as the Museum of Brisbane does — and let's face it, their affection is right there in their name — then 2016 might just offer your chance to show it. As part of their calendar of events for next year, the City Hall-based showcase of the Queensland capital's living history is staging a semi-permanent interactive exhibition that uses the people of Brisbane as its basis.
Running for three years from July 2016, 100% Brisbane won't just turn the spotlight on the city — it'll deconstruct the population and reflect the real face of the community. Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, it will find 100 everyday folks to represent the entirety of Brisbane. It all begins with one chosen local, who'll then spark a search that spans over 100 days. That resident will then have 24 hours to recruit the next Brisbanite, who will then select the another person and so on, until 100 people are connected.
Fans of globally renowned theatre company Rimini Protokoll might recognise the concept, given that the Berlin-based group has rolled out the project all around the world, including in London, San Diego, Paris, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Their Brisbane stint marks the first time they've ever collaborated with a museum, as well as being one of the biggest undertakings to date by the Museum of Brisbane.
As acting director Christopher Salter puts it, 100% Brisbane will "present the story of Brisbane today in an authentic way, through 100 of our city locals. The heart of the experience is real people with real stories and their experiences in our city today.”
Those who don't make the final 100 will also have their chance to participate once the exhibition opens, of course. Attendees will be able to share their information and opinions to compare themselves with the participants. In fact, beyond the performance aspect, the project aims to map how attitudes and perceptions change within the city over its three-year run.
100% Brisbane will also feature a documentary covering the history of the city’s population, as written and narrated by author and actor William McInnes, plus Brisbane-focused contemporary art commissions from Australian artists.
100% Brisbane opens at the Museum of Brisbane in July 2016. For more information, keep an eye on their website.
Image: Hamish Snow, Laneway Festival, Brisbane 2015 and 100% Berlin
