Philip Brophy has the sort of job that would make any teenage boy jealous: considering the naked body. Or more correctly, researching and analysing the changing perceptions of the nude in art. Brophy has taken a quite groundbreaking approach to his new exhibition, Colour Me Dead. Rather than simply allowing his research to inform his art, Brophy's extensive study of over 3000 nudes, dating back to the Neoclassical and Romantic eras, has played an intrinsic and foundational function in his artistic creations. The six digital works that make up Colour Me Dead are an artistic representation of Brophy's thesis: that the nude is no longer representative of the ideal human body, but a much darker reflection of an artist's psycho-sexual compulsions. Featuring two digital videos, two digital animations and two suites of digital prints, Colour Me Dead looks set to be as fascinating as it is subversive. Brophy's belief, that everything from Picasso's deformed subjects to Pollock's abstract landscapes are all part of a process of destruction and decimation of the perfect female form, is undoubtedly a controversial one, set to be a talking point in art circles. To witness this incredible fusion of art theory and technical innovation, head to the Ian Potter Museum of Art from June 14.
This is the End might just be the biggest in-joke in Hollywood. Its writer, director and star, Seth Rogen, plays 'Seth Rogen', whilst Jonah Hill plays 'Jonah Hill', James Franco plays 'James Franco' and Emma Watson plays, well…you get the picture. Thankfully, though, you'll also get the jokes, and no matter how 'in' or self-referential they might be, the movie invites the audience to share in the laughter. Set in the Hollywood hills, Rogen and his friend Jay Baruchel (played by Jay Baruchel) head along to a party at James Franco's mansion, where — just a short while later — the biblical Rapture commences and, quite literally, all Hell breaks loose. As their friends and fans perish around them (the cameos are too numerous to count, though highlights include Michael Cera, Channing Tatum and Rihanna), the young celebrities hole themselves up inside and try to outlast the End of Days, rationing everything from a Milky Way bar to various types of weed. To their credit, no egos are too precious and everyone plays up to their reputations: Rogen's an amiable stoner, Hill is impossibly nice and Franco holds nothing back in portraying himself as a pretentious, egocentric wanker. They're joined in the house by Baruchel, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride, with the latter contributing to about half of the movie's funniest moments. Inevitably, as a Rogen film, This is the End features a significant amount of stoner humour, dick jokes and one inconceivably long scene involving Franco and McBride hurling imaginary semen at each other and everything else around them. It's the kind of comedy you feel guilty laughing at while it's happening, and then later can't remember why it made you laugh so much. But laugh you do all the same. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ILnE7dEhCcc
Fat Freddy's Drop are no strangers to our shores. In fact they were here just last year performing one of the gigs of 2012, the jaw-dropping audiovisual album preview at the Sydney Opera House as part of
With a name like The League of Extraordinary Nations, Pop Up Playground's latest project sounds like a cross between a model UN club and a comic book plot. Actually, The League of Extraordinary Nations is a game where players take on the role of ambassadors and have to work together to protect the world from evil in the form of "nuked-up tin-pot dictators, egomaniacal madmen and intergalactic supervillains," all with dastardly world domination schemes that must be foiled in time. Pop Up Playground create games, but not as we know them. They don't create board or video games; they create pervasive games — larger-scale, interactive simulations and narratives, a bit like a grown-up version of children playing make-believe games on the playground. The object of the game is for everyone to work together to achieve world peace, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Like the real UN, there are sure to be disagreements and suspicion amongst the nations that need to be overcome first.
In his live performances, Kirin J Callinan does not hold back. This guitarist and singer-songwriter is a confronting and charismatic frontman who always delivers a stellar performance and captivates his audience. Callinan will play at the Northcote Social Club to celebrate the release of his latest single, 'Embracism'. The film clip was directed by Cara Stricker and has already received rave reviews from across the world. During 'Embracism', the cameras follow Callinan in his daily morning routine, but when these visuals are paired with provocative lyrics and driving guitar riffs, the final product is a little intense, to say the very least. Callinan is a true showman and his onstage presence and musical abilities have earned him positions alongside bands such as The Pixies, The Pet Shop Boys, Midnight Juggernaughts, The Strokes, Jarvis Cocker and Ariel Pink. Callinan is taking 'Embracism' on the road over June and July. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q_gtwhDklaQ
Passion Pit are returning to Australia. Those six words should instil excitement in all who have seen the band perform previously, likely on their previous Splendour in the Grass tour back in 2010 where their performance lit up the Woodford Amphitheatre and various venues across the country. For those who have not yet experienced Passion Pit live, this is your chance to understand why those of us who have are so excited. Their explosive pop is transmitted from band to audience from the moment the opening chord is struck, sending your body into dancing raptures that will only abate once the band has left the stage — and even then it will probably take a few hours. Since their spectacular 2010 visit, the band has grown into one of the premier pop groups on the planet, last year claiming third spot on Rolling Stone's best songs of 2012 with 'Take a Walk', the hit single from their sophomore release, Gossamer. They have also recently played New York City's Governors Ball, Coachella and a sold-out Madison Square Garden and they are now ready to bring their buzzing brilliance all the way to the Palace for one night only. https://youtube.com/watch?v=dZX6Q-Bj_xg
The NGV has been hitting it pretty hard recently. Wired for Melbourne Sound showcased local music and gave everyone a backstage pass into the industry, then Melbourne Now was launched and eclipsed everything else in its mammoth wake. What many might not know is that the latter also comprises a series of satellite events, one of which is about to hit the Corner on Wednesday night. Disruptions is a one-off performance of experimental music by Marco Fusinato and Oren Ambarchi, and laser art by Robin Fox. Fusinato is well known within the local art scene for his "analogue infused guitar noise", and Ambarchi has been dubbed "the undisputed master of the hypnotic drone and blissful bass bomb." We're not exactly sure what that last bit means but it sounds impressive. Robin Fox has also been very busy lately working on Chunky Move's Aorta, and A Small Prometheus which featured in this year's Melbourne Festival. All together, the show is bound to be an incredibly unique and mesmeric experience. Something akin to the psychedelia of your last bush doof, but without the psychedelic substances that accompanied it. Image: Robin Fox, Laser Performance 2013, NGV Commission, © Robin Fox, Photo by Lasse Marhaug.
For a movie based on a highly publicised, real-world incident, director Paul Greengrass has done a remarkable job of delivering in Captain Phillips one of the more gripping films of 2013. In 2009, the US commercial ship Maersk Alabama was boarded by Somali pirates off the horn of Africa and its crew taken hostage. Their captain, Richard Phillips (played by professional everyman Tom Hanks) displayed remarkable composure throughout the ordeal, successfully keeping the majority of his crew hidden and leading the pirates on circuitous routes around the ship until his men were able to regain the initiative and force the pirates back off. The only problem — they took Captain Phillips with them. What followed for Phillips were five punishing days trapped inside a cramped lifeboat as the pirates sought to reach shore before the US Navy could intercede. Greengrass is perhaps best known for his Bourne films, where he brought gritty realism back into the world of breakneck action. Here, he brings breakneck action into gritty realism. After an unconvincing start burdened by clunky and expository dialogue, the film quickly finds its pace with the first radar blip of the approaching pirates, and from that moment on Captain Phillips is a heart-in-mouth, white-knuckled affair right to the end. It's also thankfully light on Greengrass's signature 'shaky cam' direction, which might otherwise have made the prospect of sitting through two hours of not just unsteady footage, but footage captured largely on a small, rocking lifeboat, a genuine risk of inducing widespread vomiting. As the film's protagonist, Hanks is at his vulnerable, relatable best. His torment effortlessly becomes the audience's, all but commanding you to laugh when he laughs, and cry when he cries. Opposite him is Somali newcomer Barkhad Abdi who plays Muse, the leader of the pirates. A wiry actor with an imposing forehead and menacing, half-shut eyes, Abdi holds his own in every scene with Hanks, bringing an unsettling unpredictability to his character that constantly flicks between sympathy and ruthlessness. Most crucially, his scenes ring true, which for a dramatisation of real-world events is not only critical, but also contributes to the exhausting tension experienced throughout. Together, they and the rest of the team have crafted a remarkable and harrowing story about modern piracy and understated heroism on the high seas. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GEyM01dAxp8
Summertime in the Garden of Eden began as a piece of scratch theatre, whipped up in three weeks and playing to packed out audiences in a Thornbury shed. A short November season at Theatre Works in St Kilda is the last chance for Melbourne audiences to catch a glimpse of Sisters Grimm's anarchic vision before they take the show to Sydney's Griffin Theatre. Between its premiere in 2012 and now, the company — a collaboration between Ash Flanders and Declan Greene —have enjoyed a meteoric rise, cemented by their NEON Festival offering, The Sovereign Wife, a three-hour, two-interval epic that sold out after the first night. The Sisters' work leaves gender roles exploded in their wake, shattering familiar tropes of stage and screen. In Summertime, the cotton fields of the American South provide rich pickings for their brand of melodrama, drag, and obscenity — undercut at all times by a keen, subversive edge.
In need of aesthetic inspiration? Fear not, dear friend, for the creative extravaganza that is Semi-Permanent is about to hit Melbourne — and you’re invited. The design festival is fresh from blowing minds in Los Angeles and Portland, and will make a stop in Melbourne from October 25 - 26 as part of its world tour. Featuring a smorgasbord of visionary thinkers and exhilarating speakers, Semi-Permanent combines presentation, exhibition and party into an artful orgy of visual delights. It’s a must-iCal event for any artist whose heart longs for authentic creative community. Or for those whose hearts love free tote bags. Attendees will be able to rub shoulders with the likes of Nicole Reed, Ant Keogh, Miso and Thomas Williams of Hunt & Co., while concurrently soaking up the fresh spring sun. Highlights from previous years include behind-the-visuals insights into Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, fiery expositions from crazed photographer Charlie White and onstage rail sliding from artist/pro-skater Ed Templeton. When inspired thinkers collide, good stuff happens. Tickets are on sale right now from the Semi-Permanent website.
These boys from Brisbane are bringing their slash rock to The Corner this May as they tour their newly released second album, Black Rat. If you were all about the heavy crashes found on their debut album, Bloodstreams, then you won't be disappointed with the new material. The latest single, 'Gina Works At Hearts', has plenty of that raw energy fans have come to know them by. Having said that, Black Rat was recorded in a more experimental manner with Drones' producer Burke Reid, and the results aren't your average balls to the wall ragers. First single 'Northern Lights' is proof that this band has bigger ideas, experimenting with a textured, more anthemic style of rock. Because of this new approach and sound, Simon and Shane will be joined by special guest guitarists during their national tour. But who will it be? You'd better get along and find out. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FhJ0grMCKYc
Red Gallery is nestled within North Fitzroy's other many galleries and eateries and has a track record of showcasing emerging artists up against established art-world names. The upcoming exhibition, Portraits of the Inner North, by Pesky (aka Caitlin Murray) is about the facades that surround the gallery and the architectural evolution that has created them. Pesky has taken her love of the ever-changing street landscape of Melbourne's effortlessly cool north and created a series of digitally manipulated abstract photographs. These new works have a strong relationship with advertising, billboard culture and plays on the culture clash between new and old in gentrified neighbourhoods. If you remember what Smith or Brunswick Streets looked like ten years ago, then this is the place for you. Image credit: J, High Street Northcote, Pesky via Red Gallery.
New York indie duo Cults are in town for Groove in The Moo, but plan to stick around in Australia for a few sideshows. Last time Cults were here was in 2012 when they played a joint sideshow with The Drums as they toured for the St Jerome's Laneway Festival. This time Cults have centre stage all to themselves, and it's about time. The twinkling indie-pop perfection that is 'Go Outside' has earned Cults an adoring fan base since their self-titled release in 2011. Their second studio album, Static, takes things to a darker place; 'Were Before' and new single 'High Road' are perfect examples of their new sound. Regardless, Madeline Follin's vocals continue to float above Brian Oblivion's production, and it is a wonderful world to get lost in. https://youtube.com/watch?v=c-jKfLXYQqw
This show is a bit of an anomaly. In 2011, four young Australian writers travelled to Manila to collaborate with local artists from the Sipat Lawin Ensemble on an adaptation of the famous novel Battle Royale. The show attracted huge crowds as each performance birthed a cultish and worrying following. Then the writers decided to translate their experience to the stage in last year's Fringe hit Kids Killing Kids. This new show will tell the same story from the perspective of their Filipino collaborators. Is it overkill (for lack of a better word)? Time will tell. Either way, this is what it looks like when theatre-makers go full-on Inception. This event originally appeared as one of our top picks for the 2014 Next Wave Festival. See the full list here.
This is definitely a week for great art in the city. Electric Canvas will be lighting up the CBD streetscape as part of White Night; and a couple of our foremost new media artists, Kit Webster and Pierre Proske are bringing their bright and shiny know-how to the QV in the form of a huge, multi-dimensional cubic sculpture. But this won't be your average public artwork. From 9pm till midnight from February 19-23, the QV will be decked out for Luma Vibes — a series of chill sessions hosted under this amazing cubic construction accompanied by the sounds of DJ Chiara Kickdrum. In a holy union of light, music and spectacle, we can guarantee this will be different from your last QV experience (shopping at Big W or rubbing testers all over yourself at Aesop). Image: Kit Webster, Enigmatica, 2012, photographed at MARS Gallery.
For over 100 years the Abbotsford Convent held a dark secret. The now hollow Magdalen Laundry once acted as a prison/work camp for women who were deemed “lost and wayward” by concerned members of society. With such a provocative heritage, it’s exciting to think of an arts festival dedicated to strange, outlandish and unapologetically fierce performances taking place within these walls. Found Festival is doing just that. With over 80 artists involved including musicians, comedians, academics, performers and workshop hosts, the festival promises a week of engaging creativity. The Found initiative is based on the ideas of inclusivity, celebration and the immense power of positive action. It's the brain child of Kirsty Hulm, who upon learning of the location’s past believed it necessary to pay tribute to the women who suffered. Whilst the festival has a serious message, the program is by no means straight. It celebrates the funny, the raunchy, the intelligent, the provocative and the ridiculous. The event website suggests that we bring our thinking hats and dancing shoes, so if you like thinking and you like dancing (and if you like neither, what are you doing here?) then Found is right up your alley. Check the festival website for program details.
Sydney boy Oliver Tank has been absolutely killing it in the past couple of years since winning FBi Radio's Northern Lights competition in 2011, which saw him fly to Iceland to perform his first overseas show. Comparisons to Bon Iver and James Blake were perhaps inevitable, and to a certain extent Tank exists in that same broad 'electronica with emotions' sub-genre that those two artists dabble in. But Tank's electronica goes far deeper than a passing association to create intricate, densely layered music that has more in common with Boards of Canada or Jon Hopkins. Tank is a rapidly rising star — in 2013 he supported James Blake at the Opera House and Active Child at the Melbourne Festival. Now touring his new EP Slow Motion Music, you should definitely check him out as a headline act.
Since discovering Fix it!, a pop-up workshop where handy volunteers have a go at bringing broken household objects back to life, I have been asking myself what really needs fixing in the world. A creepy clown, the global financial crisis, free-to-air television content? In the end I set off for Richmond's Per Diem cafe, where the initiative has settled in for a Saturday residency for the month, with something that everybody's busted a few times — a broken heart. So how does one get over troubles of the heart, according to head fixers Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald and John Harland? 1. Get working on something constructive 2. Get on RSVP, stat — Lewis-Fitzgerald has worked on the RSVP profiles of nice single people before, if you ask sweetly enough it might happen again. 3. Crack out the vodka, sink into the couch and keep refreshing your ex's Facebook page (actually that one's mine and it's probably not advised). Other than lovesick souls, the fixers have been busy trying to get more practical things working since opening on March 2. Boots, umbrellas, toasters, a shredder, pants and clocks have all experience reincarnation across the Fix It! workbench. The inspiration for Fix It! comes from Amsterdam, a utopia where people get together to help repair each other's household objects for sustainability purposes and to pass on knowledge about how everyday things work. Looking at my shabby shirt, Lewis-Fitzgerald gently informs me of the best way to get missing buttons attached (stick a toothpick between the button and fabric to give it some space, then pull the pick out when you've finished sewing, FYI). Harland, one of the group's regular fixers, thinks the idea appeals to the mechanic in all of us because, “People are just interested in how things work. Humans have evolved to solve problems together, but in many ways we're losing this. Fix It! is a way that we can keep learning from each other,” he says. The fixers are keen to idle hands busy so get down there on any Saturday before March 23 with all the appliances, clothes and heartache you can carry. Image via Fix It!
There are a lot of similarities between Wild Nothing and fellow chillwave pioneers Toro Y Moi and Washed Out. All three are bedroom recordings by one-man bands, and all three men are from the southern US. Freaky! All make dreamy, lo-fi music with breathy vocals and steady beats that you can (a) dance to at an underground disco, or (b) listen to alone in your room while you stare at your posters of '80s indie bands. In the case of Wild Nothing's Virginia-born Jack Tatum, the posters he's staring at belong to The Cure, The Smiths and Simple Minds. Tatum puts a sunny disposition on their '80s gloom pop with chiming guitars and soothing vocals. You can chillax to his latest LP Nocturne in your room alone, or join some other shoegazers for a little boogie at Oxford Art Factory when Wild Nothing visits Australia for the first time in March. I hope he plays 'Chinatown'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=zm636VSQXUU
Not only the best jazz band in Australia but internationally recognised as one of the foremost proponents of experimental music, the Necks are a national treasure. For decades, they have been making music in the same format: hour-long, completely improvised sessions that start minimally before slowly building and morphing into complex and hypnotic jazz-influenced compositions. Part of the beauty is it's different every time, you never know what to expect. With tracks that range from abstract through to groovy, the band's range and compositional flexibility results in music that is simultaneously lulling and intriguing, light and dark, and cinematic enough to score films, such as Aussie classic The Boys. Don't miss these amazing artists' annual three-night visit to the Corner Hotel in Richmond.
2013 is the year organisers were promising Future be their "biggest festival lineup yet", and after rifling through the massive line-up piñata it seems they have indeed delivered. After an already big 2012 outing Future Entertainment has topped that with a bill straddling nearly every sub-genre of pop or dance, ensuring they'll draw not only a larger but a more diverse crowd. 2013's Day of the Dead-Set Awesome will be headlined by English electronic dance commanders The Prodigy, grime MC Dizzee Rascal, indie rockers Bloc Party and reformed rockers The Stone Roses, making it more of a Brit-fest than a Mexican one. Other exciting acts joining the bill include Harlem femcee Azealia Banks, Rita Ora, electro house mainstay Steve Aoki and our own The Temper Trap. And PSY will also be there, just in case you feel like contracting a South Korean virus without actually paying for a ticket to his own upcoming show. https://youtube.com/watch?v=i3Jv9fNPjgk
The north of Brunswick is perhaps best known for its cheap Turkish food and abundance of bridal shops. Even locals might be surprised to find the Brunswick Arts Space tucked down an alley and behind a bakery off Sydney Road, but those who stumble upon the space will be rewarded with LAUNCH. What it lacks in frothy tulle and kebabs, LAUNCH makes up for with innovative works from Melbourne's newest art grads. Five years since it, err, launched, LAUNCH remains a chance for the best of the city’s artistic youth to get some exposure outside of the usual internal, institutionalised galleries. Josephine Waite and Ive Sorocuk, who spent the end of last year scouting graduation exhibitions for artists, curate this year's show. LAUNCH 2013 is at once menacing, nauseating and fun — "kind of like a weird party where everyone’s death-staring or puking and you still manage to let loose”, is how Waite colourfully describes the offering. The show lives up to this statement with pieces that range from a creepy but mesmerising 3D projection to a slightly claustrophobic shed containing a rack of rock-like resin casts. Perhaps the most political work is Jerusalem Bus Stops by Helen Borowski. The piece depicts the people who now inhabit areas that were attacked in the lead-up to the Oslo Peace Accords in the early '90s, capturing the vulnerability and procession of life in a place that has seen terrible violence. LAUNCH also features works from Anna Trundle, Michele Donegan, Laura Wood, Danny Digby, Felicity Why, Lauren Young, Lucinda Anderwartha, Alex Purchase and Nina Magee. Image credit Helen Borowski.
As part of their Australasian Tour rock legends Deep Purple will play at Rod Laver, alongside American rockers Journey. The band, who have sold more than 100 million albums, are set to emerge from an eight year hiatus to jam out with hits such as Black Night, Highway Star and Smoke On The Water.
While we were distracted playing Angry Birds and Words with Friends, gaming became cool, and there is no clearer manifestation of that than how interesting and awesome this year's Freeplay program looks. Freeplay is Australia’s longest-running independent gaming festival, running from September 25 to September 29 this year. The festival warms up with the Playful Program, which kicks off on Wednesday night with Pop-Up Playground’s latest offering ‘Wikisneaks’. Like Cluedo, except with real people and state secrets. The Freeplay Conference Program runs over the weekend at the State Library of Victoria, with keynote addresses from developers Erin Robinson and Steve Swink. The conference looks at all sorts of gaming, with talks, panels and workshops inspired by the theme ‘Volume of Revolution’. There are sessions on physicality, gaming and education, power, the relationship between stories, games and activism, and a brave talk from three developers on failure. Finalist games for the Freeplay Awards will also be playable at the Experimedia exhibition over the conference weekend. There are a bunch of different ways to buy tickets — you can go along for the Playful Program bits, or buy tickets to the conference days separately.
Founded in 1998, the National Young Writers' Festival is this year celebrating its sweet sixteenth. Of course this doesn't mean they'll be spending the whole festival talking about blogs and feelings while chugging cheap champagne. Although, come to think of it, there is this panel on blogging and this thing all about feelings. And okay, sure, this fake formal is bound to have some Passion Pop on hand. But contrary to the testimony of anyone who's actually met a 16-year-old, being around for that long does give you a bit of wisdom. NYWF consistently delivers an appealing free program and offers amazing insight, advice and assistance to young creatives from all over the country. Like migration, hundreds of wide-eyed literary types descend on Newcastle for it each year — Moleskines in hand. From October 3-6, this year's festival will host 75 free events featuring over 100 young artists including the likes of Tom Ballard, Lorelei Vashti, Benjamin Law and Anna Krien. Three days with the best and most relatable voices in Australian writing will be well worth the trip. Check out our full festival guide here.
Every year the Fringe Festival gives Melbourne the chance to show itself off with exhibitions, performances and live art filling up the city’s humming laneways, theatres, and unconventional spaces. The upside of an uncurated festival is access to the unlimited scope, diversity, and imagination of the independent scene, but sometimes the sheer number of events and artworks on offer can be a bit overwhelming. Running between September 18 to October 6, this year the Fringe has over 300 shows on offer. Now that it’s become a Melbourne institution, it would be easy for the festival to rest on its laurels, but a great number of these artists stand out for their sense of risk. Shows like Kids Killing Kids and Viet Kieu are testament to the increasing value Melbourne audiences are finding in cross-cultural performance, while Digital Outlawed, Momentum: Live and the Fringe’s own Digital Gardens show us a tantalising glimpse of the possibilities on the next frontier for contemporary art. Have a look at the full program here, or check out our list of top picks here.
The technological boom of the noughties saw Steve Jobs catapulted to god-like status (RIP) and CDs become basically extinct, making it hard to imagine that 20 or so years ago our enjoyment of recorded music hung largely on the now archaic mix tape. Once upon a time we sat on hard floors, fingers poised above PLAY and REC, waiting to hear and capture that one important song, should we be so lucky that it should serendipitously permeate the airwaves. The cassette tape is just one thing to feel nostalgic about at NGV's newly opened Mix Tape 1980s: Appropriation, Subculture, Critical Style. The exhibition fuses art, music and fashion seamlessly within a broader exploration of national identity to create a complex tapestry showcasing a decade that heralded dynamic change in Australia’s contemporary art and culture landscape. The exhibition is a mix tape — just like a traditional TDK cassette, it is a compilation of the most pressing and progressive issues of the time and for added authenticity the viewer even has to switch from Side A to Side B half way through. To start with Side A would be to walk into the first of the two large exhibition rooms and be met by the young girl in Peter Tyndall’s A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/ someone looks at something. As she stares out at her observer, they become desperately self aware of the very act of artistic reflection. This piece perhaps inadvertently sets the scene for the rest of the collection — the artists of the time were immersed ethically as well as stylistically in their practice, often hyper aware of their medium. The breadth of work within Mix Tape 1980s: Appropriation, Subculture, Critical Style shows no limits in terms of form, conceptualisation and subject matter. Juan Davila’s postmodern Ratman questions censorship, homosexuality and art in culture; Robert MacPherson’s Frog Poems attempts to eradicate the limits of the English language and Imants Tillers’ composite works open up all manner of artistic possibilities. Further mixing creative mediums, the digital music mix tapes by artists such as Jenny Watts and Philip Brophy strewn around the gallery (to listen to through noise-cancelling headphones) contextualise the era in which these artists lived, worked and presumably partied at the discotheque. Side B flips the viewer into a second space — this one darker, showier. The elaborate fashions and nightclub subcultures of the decade are juxtaposed by the bleaker cultural identity crisis that concurrently took place. Both Leigh Bowery’s iconic The Masquerade costume design and Peter Tully’s jewellery explore ideas of gender and homosexuality as influenced by pop culture, highlighting the currency of their work beyond its role as fashion. Deeper into the gallery, introspections of personal and cultural identity are further explored. Many works centre upon identification, Indigenous society, environmentalism, womanhood and feminism. This cultural existentialism present in the drawings, painting, sculpture and photography create a critical and even, at times, Kafka-esque view on the society. Fusing mediums both aurally and visually Mix Tape 1980s: Appropriation, Subculture, Critical Style is not just a kitschy throwback to the colourful music, art and fashion of 1980s Australia, but a deeper homage to a dynamic decade of exploration that continues to permeate and inform the present day. Image Maria Kozic Self Portrait 1987, via ngv.vic.gov.au
Marco Bellochio, one of Italy’s most respected filmmakers, has been fostering critical thought the world over ever since he debuted his first film Fists in the Pocket five decades ago. Known for his creativity and political mind, Bellochio’s films explore grizzly topics in an unexpected, artistic manner. This month the Australian Centre for the Moving Image hosts a retrospective of Bellocchio’s films, curated by Roberta Ciabarra. The four films to be screened are Dormant Beauty (Bella Addormentata), Bellochio’s latest film that explores both sides of the ever-controversial question of euthanasia, the 2011 director’s cut of 1971's In the Name of the Father (Nel Nome Del Padre) which was first shown at the Venice Film Festival, Vincere and Good Morning, Night (Buongiorno, Notte). The retrospective is sure to result in some serious soul searching on everything from your stance on euthanasia to why you can't speak Italiano. Get ready to take a long hard look at yourself, bambino. Image: Good Morning, Night (Buongiorno, Notte)
Movie nights rock — popcorn, entertainment, friends, what's not to love? In childhood, they were basically an excuse to squeal loudly and eat your body weight in jelly beans before becoming homesick sometime around 10pm. Let's just say, the movies weren't the main event. However, here's one you will want to be watching the screen for — the Centre for Contemporary Photography showcase their pick of 35 years of film by Robert Rooney. In 1973 Rooney made his first film, Anzacs, using a Super 8 camera to document daily life in patterns and rhythms, a practice he developed throughout the decade that followed. In 2009 he started digging up his old photographic work and decided to make films of a similar ilk reinterpreting that material. Set to music that dictate the length of his films, the results are raw and unique. Curators Maggie Finch and Patrick Pound screen a selection of these films on Wednesday night, for less than the shrapnel in your back pocket. BYO friends, popcorn provided. Book here. Image via ccp.org.au
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, we often say to ourselves, and our friends, "I can't imagine living without coffee." Well, what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, June 7, you can help out simply by purchasing a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its third year running, aiming to build on the $74,477 raised last year. From every coffee purchased at a participating cafe, $1 will be donated towards local projects, so if your cafe is not participating, head to one that is, just for one day. You can also donate at the counter, so if you prefer a hot chocolate, then you can still help out. It's one day when the little things can definitely make a big difference.
Apparently there’s some rumour going around that Melburnians like coffee. The attainable, cosmopolitan treat has become a solid (but also liquid) part of Melbourne’s identity in recent times and with amazing cups of joe now standard throughout our fair city, why shouldn’t it be? This weekend, find out what all the fuss is about at the 2013 Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Coinciding with the end of Good Beer Week, zap that hangover by tasting some of the world’s best coffee, watching demonstrations (including the finals of the World Barista Championships), learning more about the bittersweet brown liquid in a series of workshops and activities and if you’re not shaking too much from a caffeine overdose, trying your hand at latte art. Open to the general public from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday, MICE2013 will provide the skills and knowledge necessary to become the perfect Melbourne coffee snob. Was that cold drip or single origin? Not recommended for the highly-strung. Image via internationalcoffeeexpo.com
Watching actors portraying real people is a powerful and engaging experience — think Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in Iron Lady, Colin Firth as King George VI in The Kings Speech, Russell Crowe as John Forbes Nash in A Beautiful Mind, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in Capote and President Obama as Daniel-Day Lewis as Obama. Knowing actors are recreating true events often makes a film all the more fascinating, yet creative liberties can also create a false understanding of the actual events. Where do we place ethics in this sphere of acting? Is it the actor’s role to be completely true to the character? What about those who know the subject? In a public lecture entitled Staging Biography: Actors Playing Real People, Mary Luckhurst, Professor of Drama at the University of York and a Macgeorge Fellow at the VCA, shares her extensively researched understanding of the topic, including information gathered through interviews with some of the world’s most famous actors. Image credit The Kings Speech
Ridiculous as it may sound, some of the most compelling on-screen moments of the past decade have been found in the simple 30-second commercial spots for Apple products. Think back, for example, to the excitement on the face of the deaf girl as she's finally able to use sign language on her mobile phone, or the hypnotic dancing silhouettes cutting loose to Jet's ridiculously catchy 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl'. Best of all, picture that deployed soldier on the distant battlefront, tearfully touching the screen just as his newborn son gently does the same from all the way back home. Like the products they were marketing, Apple ads tapped into the notion of selling ideas and emotions — not items — and $500 billion later it was pretty clear we liked what we saw. Because of that, though, one of the biggest challenges facing the Steve Jobs biopic Jobs was to simply be better than the ads for the products he invented, and on most fronts it was, unfortunately, unsuccessful. Not unlike 2010's The Social Network, the Jobs film tracks its protagonist's story from his college days through to his stewardship over what is now, economically, the largest company in the world. We're presented with an unflattering portrayal of the man whose extraordinary vision sat alongside his infamous temper, ego and capacity for cruelty, particularly in matters concerning close friends and family. Steve is played by Ashton Kutcher in a performance that impressively captures the tech legend's mannerisms and cadence. The problem, however, is that Jobs feels more like a movie about Apple than the man who founded it. Whilst we're presented with at least some of his highs and lows (the movie is at its best during those low points, most notably his dismissal by the Apple board), whenever the products rate a mention, they're given almost comical reverence; messianic machines bathed in ethereal light. There's no denying the Cult of Apple exists, but this film wasn't the place to indulge it, and when coupled with some serious omissions, such as Jobs's founding of Pixar, it's hard to not consider this biopic more Performa than performer. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FrvkCS0ZGPU
Like a terrifying real-life Post Secret, Perth artist James Berlyn is about to ask a whole lot from his audience. In a free, 20-minute one-on-one performance, Berlyn will act as manicure professional Tawdry Heartburn and ask you to divulge all your well-kept secrets. Terrifically cathartic yet horribly scary, your secret will then be added to an ever-expanding collection on public display at Arts House. This one isn't for those not fond of audience participation, although there is the option to submit secrets anonymously during the festival or in an online component. Thank God for the internet. This event was featured in our top ten things to see at the Festival of Live Art. See the full list here.
It's safe to say Bryony Kimmings is not a fan of Miley Cyrus. In an attempt to undermine the sexualisation and commodification of childhood, this British performance artist and her niece Taylor dreamt up a new role model — "a dinosaur-loving, bike-riding, tuna-pasta-eating pop star" — and sought to make her world famous. The piece was a phenomenon in the UK garnering attention from the likes of Amanda Palmer and Yoko Ono, and now the stage show acts as a kind of dynamic analysis. Did it work? Was it necessary? Where do we go from here? This event was featured in our top ten things to see at the Festival of Live Art. See the full list here.
Summer is made for nights at the Convent. Between dinner and a bottle of BYO wine at Lentil as Anything and a sporadic outdoor flick at the Shadow Electric, you really can make a whole night of it in those beautiful grounds. Now — as if you needed another excuse — you may find your Fridays accounted for with the inclusion of a weekly Supper Market. From 6pm every Friday, the grounds of the Convent will be transformed into a smorgasbord of local crafts, fashion, and most importantly — food. Offerings will include that all-time market staple: Mama's Gozleme, as well as calamari and chips courtesy of Mr Calamaro, Ghost Kitchen Taiwanese street food, On Thai's local takeaway dishes, Vietnamese pork belly rolls from Banh Mi Boys, Smokin' Barry's slow-cooked BBQ ribs and Belgian waffles fittingly served to us from Waffle Waffle. To cover the sounds of all that munching, there will also be local musicians playing each week. Bon appetit. The Supper Market runs from 6pm-9pm every Friday night until March 7. Entry is free.
Each year the Melbourne Theatre Company presents a series of semi-staged readings of new plays by Australian writers — an opportunity for a fresh crop of five playwrights to develop their work, and a great chance for local audiences to experience new performance writing on the cheap (a mere $10, or $5 for under 30s). 2014 is no exception. As 'semi-staged readings' the actors often have scripts in hand, and the focus is on refining the writing in front of a live audience rather than expecting a perfect, polished performance. Make sure to check out Declan Greene’s thoroughly un-Googleable 8GB of Hardcore Pornography – it’s receiving its premiere in Sydney later this year but its Cybec outing will have to tide Melbourne audiences over for now. There are also plays by Kylie Trounson, S. Shakthidaran, Sue Smith, and Jane Harrison, whose work The Visitors is appearing as part of the Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival. For more details on each play check out the MTC website.
Just in case you needed another excuse to peddle around in the sprinkles of sunshine Melbourne is currently granting us, October 19 is national Ride2Work day. And what is just as good as starting your day with a bike ride? A free breakfast, that’s what. The Abbotsford Convent are opening their doors from 7.30am - 9.30am and have some tasty treats on offer including coffee, bircher muesli, pastries, corn fritters, fried eggs and miso soup. On top of that, if you snap a photo of you and your trusty steed and post it up on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #conventarchibikeprize you could win some seriously awesome bike-related bounty. The Convent Archibike prize will be awarded to the self-portrait with the most likes on Facebook and will be called on October 19 at breakfast. So pump up those tires, get snapping, and give yourself a high-five for traveling to work in a healthy and sustainable way.
If you think you don't know who Cody ChesnuTT is, then you will be pleased to learn that you are wrong. He is the soulful singer of the incredibly catchy 'Look Good In Leather', one of many brilliant songs from his debut album, The Headphone Masterpiece. The Roots (you will know them) also reworked ChesnuTT's song 'The Seed' for their famous album Phrenology. Since then it has been a long time between drinks — Australia last saw ChesnuTT in 2006. Thankfully, though, he is back with his second studio album and an Australian tour. Landing on a Hundred was released late last year and is well worth seeing performed live. In fact, anyone compared to music legends Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Jimmy Hendrix and Prince is worth seeing, especially for under $50. So hand over a gold note, get your change and enjoy an evening of musical artistry. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8iTRRkOXIoI
This installation by Young British Artist, Tacita Dean, is going to be one of the most spectacular sights of this year's festival. Her surreal and finely crafted 35mm film will be projected onto a towering 13-metre vertical screen in the vast main gallery of ACCA. The sheer grandeur of the piece will be awesome to behold, but it will also raise some interesting questions about the medium itself. Does it stand in simple celebration of the artistry of celluloid cinema, or is it a bittersweet elegy for the decline of analogue art? FILM has been received well during its exhibition in the Tate Modern last year, and Dean will be speaking about the work at a free public lecture on October 10. Check out the rest of our picks for the Melbourne Festival here.
With a reimagined collection of over 400 artworks, QUEER presents hundreds of years of paintings, photography and more through a queer lens. The most historically expansive exhibition of its kind in Australia, QUEER features works by queer artists or artists who have a strong connection to queer history. The exhibition seeks to explore the idea of queerness as an expression of sexuality and gender, a sensibility and attitude, as well as a political movement. The exhibit also considers the collection of the NGV itself, examining where queer history is notably absent from the NGV either accidentally or through purposeful omission. The exhibit celebrates modern and historical queerness, celebrating recent queer icons through photo, video, and fashion, as well as classical paintings depicting queer love. QUEER will be free and open to the public at NGV International from Thursday, March 10 until Sunday, August 21. Image credit: Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images for NGV.
Melbourne's weather might still be in winter mode, but the ice cream masters at Billy van Creamy are diving right into summer anyway. On Thursday, December 1, they're dishing up a giant scoop of that sunshine we've all been craving and giving away a stack of free ice cream to honour the start of the (hopefully) sunny season. To score yourself some all-natural ice cream on the house, simply swing past the Brunswick or Fitzroy North store between 5–7pm and the team will treat you to a scoop, loaded into your choice of a cup or cone. You've got a tantalising range of flavours to pick from, too — maybe jammy pineapple with toasted coconut, vegan peanut butter spiked with choc chips, salted mango swirl, honeycomb, or one of the new-release seasonal sorbet varieties. If you don't already know Billy van Creamy from its roving ice cream truck and events cart, or two Northside stores, now's the perfect chance to get acquainted. And if a free scoop of deliciousness doesn't bring on some sunnier weather, we don't know what will. Free scoops are available from 5–7pm on December 1, from both Billy Van Creamy outposts — 212 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, and 146 Sydney Road, Brunswick.
On the hunt for some pre-loved gems? You'll find beautiful bargains aplenty at an upcoming series of flea markets in the heart of South Yarra. Descending on Japanese biker bar Bosozoku, the next treasure-filled market will run on Sunday, April 14. Head along from 11am and prepare for some top-notch rummaging, with each stall featuring two suitcases filled with pre-loved delights. You'll find everything from books, antiques and bric-a-brac, to vintage threads and must-have designer fashion, with a cracking soundtrack to inspire your shopping adventures. Got some vintage gear that needs a new home? You can host one of the suitcase stalls for $45 — sign-up here. CORRECTION: APRIL 2, 2019 — A previous version of this article stated that the market was run by Hawkeye Vintage. Hawkeye is no longer involved in the market — and the location has changed — so the article has been updated to reflect this.
The best of Korean cinema will once again be on full display when the Korean Film Festival in Australia returns for its sixth straight year. Kicking off in Melbourne on September 3, the program is headlined by a number of gripping crime thrillers — the genre having become synonymous with Korean cinema thanks to films like Oldboy and I Saw the Devil. This year, the mantle passes to the likes of A Hard Day, The Target and The Divine Movie. Other highlights among the KOFFIA 2015 program include the powerful coming-of-age film Han Gong-ju and the brilliantly titled opening night feature How To Steal A Dog. We're also pretty intrigued by closing night's Madonna (and no, we're not talking about the pop star), about a nurse, a comatose patient in need of a new heart and an act of redemption. For the full KOFFIA program, visit their website.
Ice cream season is just around the corner, but Melbourne's newest destination for cold, creamy scoops feels like it's a gift from some time far, far into the future. At Federation Square's new Niska store you're served not by the usual humans, but by a team of friendly robot staff. Touted as the country's first-ever robotics-run retail store, the shop takes your regular ice creamery to a whole new level. Founded by and named after Aussie robotics startup Niska, it's offering punters a pretty unique food experience — that is, the chance to grab some locally made ice cream, from three different robots named Pepper, Eka and Tony. Enter the bright, white shop and you'll see them hard at work, each tasked with a different step of the serving process. One takes your order and payment via an interactive menu screen. Here, you can choose from suggested dessert combos, or create your own from a selection of ice cream flavours, toppings, sauces and extras. The frozen stuff is all made locally in Melbourne, with ice cream varieties including favourites like hazelnut, salted caramel, coconut and rocky road. A second robot staff member has just one arm, but scoops like a boss, filling diners' cups from a rotating wheel of different flavours. The final futuristic helper adds any toppings to the cup and delivers the final product to a glass kiosk. There's a screen displaying which orders are on the way and a handy ding of a bell when one's ready to be picked up — when yours is up, just scan your receipt barcode and it'll let you grab it. Still a little iffy? A real, live human staff member is always on hand — just in case or any ice cream emergencies — and any potential robot glitches are managed by an off-site computer tech support team. Happily, Niska's futuristic leanings extend beyond the high tech staff to other important areas. In a nod to the planet's future, the store's ice cream cups are made from clear polycarbonate with a P5 grading, and are fully recyclable when placed in one of the in-store bins.
In the words of the great man himself, let's dance in AC/DC Lane on Sunday, March 10. Bowie fans — aka Melbourne's real cool cats — will want to flock to the latest tribute evening dedicated to the man that music, and the world in general, won't ever forget. Taking place from 11pm, Cherry Bar's David Bowie Celebration is exactly what it sounds like, all on the night before Melbourne's next holiday — and the venue's last before it closes its doors. If you want to get decked out as your favourite version of the all-round icon or slap on some lightning face paint, you'll get in for free. If costumes aren't your style but Ziggy Stardust, Thin White Duke, Major Tom and Aladdin Sane definitely is, head along for tunes, dancing, and a night of adoration and admiration. There'll be all of the tracks you've always dreamed of, with plenty to choose from — Bowie made 25 albums over five decades, after all. It's bound to be an emotional ride through the career of a creative genius, and if you need some liquid support, espresso martinis will be $10 all evening. Entry is $10 as well for those who haven't gone the dress-up route.
After the year we've had, some relaxation time is just what we all need. And while putting on a face mask or body scrub is a great way unwind, a good skin care routine — with natural, locally sourced and cruelty-free skincare products — can often be hard to come across or too expensive. Body Blendz is an Australian owned skincare company that produces vegan skincare products that are not tested on animals — and it's offering a huge discount on its whole range this week. Its selection of face masks and body scrubs are designed to improve circulation and reduce inflammation and blemishes on your skin. The brand's best seller is its range of coffee scrubs designed for full-body exfoliation. The coffee scrubs come in four varieties: coco luxe, sugar glow, coffee buff and vanilla blush. Up until Tuesday, December 29, you can pick up 30 percent off everything on the Body Blendz store. Just head online, select what you want and then enter the discount code 'END2020' at the checkout to receive the discount. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
The Melbourne Writers Festival starts Thursday, 22 August, and takes over the city until September 1. This year it's layer upon layer of awesome. There is something special about a program headlined by both London Mayor Boris Johnson and 17-year-old icon Tavi Gevinson. This is a festival with both the London Review of Books and The Lifted Brow. The latter of which is going to crowdfund and make from scratch an entire magazine over the festival's 10 days. 2013 is the first year Lisa Dempster has directed MWF, and the former Emerging Writers Festival director/CEO has a knack for knowing which things will make Melbourne writers lose their shit. One of these things is the festival’s opening night, which brings New York-based storytelling event and podcast The Moth to Melbourne for the first time. Live on stage Magda Szubanski, Tony Wheeler and Melissa Lucashenko will all tell true stories about courage. For more evidence of awesomeness see: Tao Lin, Tavi Gevinson (I know I already mentioned her, but hey, it's Tavi!) and Moleskine notebooks. MWF often combines writing with the city itself, which is where the abundance of walking tours are thrown into the mix. Writers make for excellent guides. There are walks for street art, for using Melbourne as a muse, and one that explores the hidden dragons of Melbourne's public spaces. There are some great free bits too, so if you want to bulk out a whole day at the festival it’s really easy and possible to do on a budget. You can start the day with The Morning Read, visit the daily illustrator in residence in the Atrium of Fed Square, or go to one of the other free events listed here. This year’s MWF also looks at the way literature is evolving online. Writers have pushed through the era where panels are called ‘Is this the end?’ and ‘Is the internet changing things?’ and ‘WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO GUYZ’ and are finally in an awesome place where they can take a calm, deep breath and celebrate the amazing stuff that happens when writing and the internet meet. The Digital Futures program includes Teju Cole, whose twitter-based project Small Fates has attracted over 90,000 followers; a discussion on the impact of online music criticism; and Digital Drive — a whole day for writers to learn about developing digital work. With such a huge array of events on offer, there are also some bite-sized festivals within MWF that might make your 10 days easier to program. One is the always-excellent New News conference — two days with incredible news reporting and editing talent including Katharine Viner, Michael Gawenda and Sophie Black. There's also the World Writers’ Conference which brings Scottish writers to Melbourne via Edinburgh. And that thing you’re obsessed with? There’s probably a panel on writing about that too. Antarctica? Spies? Bees? You should snap up tickets to the things you want to go to now, because the festival starts Thursday and things are already selling out (sorry Tavi fans). Check out the full program here.
It's stretchy pants time, Melburnians — trust us, you're going to need them. You'll want to be comfortable as possible when you're sitting down for an unlimited feed of vegan pizza and beer or wine every Monday–Thursday evening until the end of October. That's the deal Pizza E Birra is now serving from 5.30–9.30pm each week. The popular St Kilda spot has just launched a plant-based menu and is celebrating with endless vegan slices for — and unlimited tap beer or wine — for $49. Your slices and sips will last for a two-hour period. Nine different woodfired vegan pizzas are on offer, so you can try every one on the menu as long as your stomach can handle it — all paired with Italian brews that'll just keep on coming. Eat your way through the Potato (topped with kale, 'nozzarella' and chilli oil), the pumpkin and feta number (with almond feta and caramelised onions) and the Meat Lovers (with vegan salami, ham and bacon). If you do eat meat, the restaurant is also offering endless cheesy and meaty slices for $45 on the same night. You guys have 13 different pies to choose from. It won't come as a surprise that this free-for-all has a few conditions, with the most important being that everyone in your group has to take part, you can't take away and the deal only goes for two hours. To make a booking, head to the website. Updated: October 10, 2019. Image: Craig Thompson
Every March, 18 AFL teams dream of one thing: holding the men's premiership cup high on the last Saturday in September. Every Aussie Rules fan knows the reality, however. Only one club can win the season's final match, and only two can hit the turf to contest it. In 2022, those two teams are Geelong and Sydney. Maybe you love one of them. Perhaps you despise them both. You could be hurting because one of them just knocked your club out of the finals race or, somehow, the two teams might be among the clubs you neither adore nor hate. Whichever applies, if you're an AFL fan then you'll be watching the Cats and Swans battle it out for men's competition's ultimate piece of AFL silverware — and you can now do so on the silver screen. Big game, big screen: that's the plan at the Lido, Classic and Cameo cinemas, and it's kicking goals. If you can't be at the game itself, where else was going to do Buddy Franklin justice? Even better: entry is free, although you do need to book a spot at whichever picture palace you're headed to. The session kicks off at 2.30pm on Saturday, September 24, and you'll require your wallet for whatever you want to eat and drink. Choc tops with the footy? Why not. Top image: Jenks24 via Wikimedia Commons.
