There Goes The Neighbourhood

Overview

Given that the relationship between art and alcohol probably goes back to cave paintings, it’s pretty dumb that conventional gallery spaces look at you funny when you stumble in, seeking visual enlightenment under a slight Reschs-induced daze. So thank God for places like Lo-Fi Collective, who really do make art accessible to all.

The guys behind Lo-Fi have now breathed new life into the formerly unassuming Toxteth Hotel on Glebe Point Road. But instead of the draw card being $5.50 tacos, it’s a feast for the eyes presented by emerging local artists. (Okay so it’s pulled duck and chip butty sliders too, but let’s focus on the art for now.) As part of a plan to bridge the gap between Sydney’s arts education system and the art industry, the top level has been turned into five rent-free studio spaces plus a gallery called The Tate, where burgeoning young talent can be harnessed and put on show. Downstairs is where culinary innovation is cultivated, in the form of fried chicken burgers and a Coopers Pale Ale pie.

The first exhibition to take place will be There Goes the Neighbourhood. This group show by friends of co-curators Marty Routledge and Christopher Loutfy includes such visual spectacles as street art by Numskull, typographic delights by Luca Lunesca and advanced galactic space monsters by six-year-old Max Treffkorn — with all works serving as invitations to reclaim ownership of the once-bohemian surburb of Glebe. New openings will take place weekly, so keep an eye on their website and try to coincide your visit with $4 sliders night.