UNHOLY / DIVINE at Museum of Contemporary Art Australia

Overview

In July, Sydney's art scene was rocked when brand-new arts space Divine Playhouse was evicted from the deconsecrated church it had moved into just days earlier. With the venue imagined as an inclusive space for, but not exclusive to, the LGBTQIA+ community, local religious groups claimed the venue's irreverent use of religious iconography amounted to mockery.

Two months later, the Kat Dopper-run venue is making a comeback, gearing up to present UNHOLY / DIVINE at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Held across three distinct nights this October, more than 50 independent artists will showcase what the short-lived Kent Street space was intended to be all about, with a full-blown celebration of difference, dissent and divine mischief ready to launch.

First up, 'An Unholy Funeral – The Death of Divine' takes over the MCA's Foundation Hall on Thursday, October 8, serving up a tongue-in-cheek wake dedicated to the venue. Expect processions, hymns and performance spaces curated by artists until late, with the artworks displayed on the night auctioned off to raise funds for Divine Playhouse and Heaps Gay, Dopper's arts and events organisation.

Then, on Thursday, October 22, it's time for the resurrection. Bringing an equally subversive perspective, 'An Unholy Rebirth – Resurrection and Joy' serves as an invitation to the heavenly awakening. Stacked with another huge lineup of creative talent, including the Unholy Drag Choir, this evening is trading in the bad juju for eternal bliss, encouraging attendees to get decked out in their best taffeta garments.

Finally, this series of divine intervention rounds out on Thursday, October 29. But for this final benediction, indulgence is the theme of the night, where tasting the forbidden fruit is strictly encouraged. With the chance to confess your sins and "very naughty art" on the agenda, this debaucherous occasion will lean into the sexual and delightfully obscene.

"When a small venue disappears, the city doesn't just lose a room. It loses a place where grassroots artists can test ideas, communities can gather and culture can be born before it reaches the mainstream. I am delighted that the MCA has offered to open its doors and let artists be heard," says Dopper.

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Images: Anna Hay.