Overview
While Sugar Mountain has been around for a few years now, it's safe to say that 2015 will be the festival's biggest yet. With the announcement that '90s hip-hop legend Nas was set to perform his seminal album Illmatic in its glorious entirety, this indie music and arts festival was instantaneously catapulted from boutique to BIG DEAL. Now, just a few days out from the main event, we wouldn't blame you if you've been caught up in the hype.
While Nas is understandably a huge get for the local festival, he's not the only reason to jump on tickets quick smart. Of course, there are a bunch of other top notch acts lined up such as Ariel Pink, Swans and How To Dress Well, but music isn't the festival's only drawcard.
The festival seeks to explore the intersection of music, visual arts and new media "focusing on the natural meeting points between different mediums". And as the proceedings have this year moved from The Forum to the VCA, there's an understandably much bigger focus on the latter two categories.
Here's a few artsy reasons to head along this Saturday.
Ash Keating
Best known for his work in the NGV's landmark exhibition Melbourne Now — or more specifically, all over the gallery's north-facing wall — this local paint fiend is bound to put on a show to rival Nas himself. Often working with fire extinguishers, Keating creates expressive and transformative works in urban spaces that double as both beautiful objects and performative spectacles. Aside from the NGV, you may have caught one of his creations at RMIT's A'Beckett Urban Square last year. But if you've never had the pleasure of seeing this local boy in action, we highly recommend catching the show at Sugar Mountain. With extinguisher in hand, things are bound to get pretty messy.
Confetti System
You know an artist is good when they've been called upon by Beyonce. Confetti System are a duo out of New York consisting of Nicholas Anderson and Julie Ho — two people you definitely want to decorate your next birthday party. Specialising in all things fabulous, these crafty Americans create fantastical displays and incredible textural pieces out of tissue paper, silk, confetti and ribbon. While they've created installations for the likes of Beyonce — it deserves two name drop — Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Beach House, they really come into their own when they're working for a wider audience. The duo love the fact that they're works encourage a spontaneous installation with the viewer and crowds at Sugar Mountain will be wholly encouraged to interact with the works (read: frolic in confetti until you die of happiness).
Robin Fox
This local light wizard will be right at home at Sugar Mountain with his specialisation in lasers and theatrics perfectly complementing the music on show. Constantly interested in the intersection of light and sound, Fox has shared his work widely over the past few years. Like Keating, he also participated in Melbourne Now, but he's also collaborated with artists at the NGV's Friday Nights' series, and has worked with Chunky Move on multiple productions. At Sugar Mountain, he'll be treating us to a work he debuted at MONA FOMA last year, RGB Colour Organ. Like most crazy art times at the festival, it will be interactive as Fox invites us to play a piano keyboard hooked up to laser projectors and show light and sound all over everyone. Yes. Please.
Cornelius Brown
This Melburnian art collective may not have giant laser or famous friends, but they do have something pretty good — giant sneaky men made out of milk crates. Of course, this isn't the only thing they do, but it is the most memorable. You may have caught a glimpse of their original 'Crateman' in various awkward positions across the country in recent years — he's been spotted on a rooftop in Richmond and all the way up to Brisbane. But, the main goal of their work is to reinvigorate their audience's relationship with urban environments. Constantly re-purposing everyday objects to create something surreal and eye-catching, they'll no doubt be one to watch on the festival grounds (and buildings and skies).
Abby Portner
Surreal tends to be the taste d'jour of this year's offering and with that in mind Abby Portner will fit in just fine. Having previously produced work for Animal Collective, LA skate-royalty Alien Workshop and motherflippin' Jim Henson Studios (SHE ACTUALLY MADE MUPPETS), Portner basically works in a dreamland. Working across multiple art forms such as animation, set design, costume, paint and film, this US-based artist is somewhat of a wildcard to the festival. But, considering her online portfolio boasts a free-standing giant poop emoji, we're pretty excited to see what she'll bring up the Mountain.
Sugar Mountain is hitting the VCA from 11.30am this Saturday, January 24. Grab your tickets here.