Laneway seems like an odd place for the Australian debut of Manchester producer Holy Other, who prefers to play in near-complete darkness. I found that out via Google but it’s difficult to see why you’d want to experience his music in any other way. Combining sexy slow grooves with disarming club-suited vocals that sound halfway between a dream and a nightmare, these tunes don’t need a veil of darkness to make them more mysterious, but a cloudy room full of jerky strobed bodies would certainly intensify things in a really cool way. Having just released his debut album Held, the follow up to last year’s vehemently received With U EP, Holy Other has recently toured with the likes of Beach House, Amon Tobin and Thom Yorke & Nigel Godrich’s Atoms for Peace. Performing in Goodgod’s smoky Danceteria for his only Sydney Laneway sideshow, this is a chance to hear his more recent vocal-heavy tracks alongside the five pieces of moody atmospherics that were not unfoundedly heralded as contemporary masterpieces. Take someone who hates house music or RNB so you can grin smugly in the darkness with the knowledge that their perceptions will be forever changed for the better.
Grab your leg warmers, throw on some lycra and get your skates on, literally, at Sydney's frostiest, quietest winter event. Yes, the Silent Disco Ice Skating Festival is back for another round of peaceful gliding fun. If you've always wanted to relive Blades of Glory, here's your chance. From May 3–31, a purpose-built ice rink will transform Chippendale's Central Park Mall. Take to the floor, put on your headphones and skate along to live DJ sets. The silent disco fun kicks off at 4pm daily; however, anyone just keen for some ice time, sans tunes, can head along from 10am. Regardless of the time of day, capacity is limited to 45 people at a time, with sessions running for 60 minutes (or 30 when it's really busy) starting on the hour, every hour. To make sure you snag a spot, you can pre-book online for sessions between 4–8pm, Monday–Wednesday. Sounds cool as ice, doesn't it? Or even better, really, given that Cool As Ice is actually the name of a Vanilla Ice-starring 90s rom-com that somehow doesn't involve ice skating. Throw in the fact that it's all free, and it's a winter wonderland indeed. Silent Disco Ice Skating Festival is open from 10am daily, with the silent disco running from 4–8pm.
Back in the 1920s, a bunch of fishermen built a group of pocket-sized dwellings at Hyams Beach, just 60 metres from the water. Now, they've been transformed into Hyams Beach Seaside Cottages. Painted dusky pink, baby blue and canary yellow, each one has a little porch and ocean views, plus polished wooden floors and an ultra-comfortable, queen-sized bed inside. All seven cottages are designed for couples, and it's strictly no kids. Each one has a kitchenette, allocated car space and complimentary wifi, plus they all benefit from bush and ocean views from their private decks. [caption id="attachment_770531" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hyams Beach by Tourism Australia[/caption]
The minds behind Barossa Grape & Wine Association and vinous event organisers Revel have another specialised wine exploration to add to your calendar, this time devoted to the famed South Australian wine region of the Barossa Valley. On Saturday, July 13, Barossa. Be Consumed returns to Eveleigh's Carriageworks. Expect a one-day celebration of the Barossa's finest, showcasing over 220 wines from more than 45 of the region's wineries. The lineup features Cirillo Estate, Peter Lehmann and First Drop Wines, alongside award-winners like Yelland and Papps, home to 2018 Young Gun of Wine finalist Michael Papps, and Turkey Flat Vineyards, winner of the 2017 Jimmy Watson Trophy. You'll have the chance to meet producers while you sample their best creations, and then have bottles of your favourite wines shipped straight to your door. Seppeltsfield Road Distillers rounds out the liquid offerings with its small-batch gin, too. There'll be live music playing as you sample various drops and wander through the fair. Plus, regional food and produce will also be available to taste (and line your stomach). Meanwhile, four Meet the Maker sessions will run for those wanting to sink their teeth in deeper and will be hosted by leading wine personalities Samantha Payne and Clare Burder. Ranging from a sommelier's view on dining with Barossa vino to an in-depth look at Barossa grenache, these sessions are available for an additional cost ($35–50).
If you're a fan of IKEA, but think those huge, daunting warehouses are the stuff of panic attacks, here's some news to make you very happy indeed — the Swedish furniture giant is launching a new kind of retail offering and its size and style is looking a whole lot easier to manage. The brand's Australian arm is set to unveil its first Home Planning Studio, a small-format store that'll make its home at Sydney's Westfield Warringah Mall from next month. A departure from the standard IKEA caper, the new offering's focused only on kitchen and bedroom planning, with a bevvy of staff on hand to coach you through the experience via one-on-one consultations and nifty tablets. Yep, if you're just whipping your loo into shape or sprucing up that kitchen, you can forego the mammoth Tempe or Rhodes adventure and breeze through here instead. [caption id="attachment_715151" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A render of the Home Planning Studio's layout.[/caption] As an added bonus, the space itself reads like a bubble of serenity (supposedly). The bedroom zone is complete with wafting floral scents and a plethora of wardrobe storage solutions. Meanwhile, the kitchen planning section apparently takes the form of a "wellness sanctuary", offering a raft of storage options aimed at the eco-friendly home chef and entertainer. There's no word yet on exactly what products the store will stock — from the renders we're guessing some kitchen appliances, coat hangers, pillows and plants — but we're hoping we'll be able to pick up those essential tealight candles and lint rollers (looking at you, pet owners). The IKEA Home Planning Studio is slated to open in Westfield Warringah Mall, Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale, at the start of May. If it proves a hit, the concept will be rolled out to more locations across the country.
This is the Redlands Wetspac Art Prize's 16th year, and the first in which the works in competition will be shown at the National Art School. The Prize is open to Australian and New Zealand artists in two categories — emerging and established — with no other defined curatorial parameters. The curator this year, giving things a bit of a politicised spin, is artist and educator (and person who is having a pretty big 2012, what with having her portrait in the Archibald and her work in the new galleries of the MCA) Lindy Lee. In accordance with the prize structure, Lee has invited a selection of established artists to submit a work to the show. Where it gets a bit more unusual is that each established artist also gets to invite an emerging artist of his or her choice, who also goes into the prize. The RWAP is an acquisitive prize, and there are also cash prizes: $20,000 to an established artist, this year the not-unfamiliar-from-having-won-other-things-but-really-very-good Ben Quilty with a painting of his father, and $10,000 to the emerging artist category, which was taken out by Kelly Doley with documentation of a project called The Learning Centre, in which she found out certain things about people. The two winners made very different works (both of which pay off the spending of time with them), and the disparity between them is representative of the variety that comes through in the exhibition as a whole. Without restrictions on theme or medium, there's all kind of work in this show. It's of an accomplished standard, and forms a good cross-section of things that are happening in Australia's and New Zealand's contemporary art. The layout of the exhibition in the airy two-floor space is good too, with works relating well to one another without being artificially segmented into categories. There are a couple of signage issues: while it's noted on the labels for works by emerging artists who the established artist nominating them was, this doesn't happen vice versa. And this can be frustrating for the viewer who wants to look at what the relations between nominator and nominee might be, in the course of their viewing. This is a little bit annoying. Any but the most art-world-involved of viewers would not know by name who is emerging and who is established. (And the criteria for this isn't made clear in the exhibition information.) The room sheet is a bit frustrating too, counter-intuitively listing artists in alphabetical order, rather than with reference to the placement of works. Pedantic gripes aside though, this show manages to be "something for everyone" - or maybe "something by everyone"? - without compromising on quality or coherence. It also reassures about the relevance of contemporary art as commentary and as community, which makes it a prize that rewards the visitor too. Video still from BBQ this Sunday (flight paths) by Joan Ross.
Do you understand the Poincaré recurrence theorem? You do? Yeah well whatever, I totally know things about art, so there! And alright yes I am being defensive about my lack of understanding of mathematics or science that isn't explained by David Attenborough or Thomas Pynchon, but also I am alluding to an element of Robyn Stuart's work: binaries, paradox, memory, and feeling small. By observing and documenting Lake Eyre, a body of water that contains water that was rainfall two million years ago(!), Stuart explores landscape as memory and the phenomenon that "certain volume-preserving physical systems will, after a sufficient length of time, return to a state very close to the initial state." So there is space, time, history, existence in the world, chaos theory and video installation work. That is totally what always happens at university galleries, right?
To celebrate its tenth year, Chippendale's White Rabbit Gallery is hosting a massive four-month exhibition. Dubbed Then, the show is a deep dive into the gallery's past, showcasing important pieces that have graced White Rabbit's halls and walls. Launching on Wednesday, September 11 and running until January 2020, it'll will showcase more than 60 never-seen-before works alongside retrospective pieces. Standouts span Wang Zhiyuan's Object of Desire, which comments on the commodification of love by pairing a giant pair of pink fibreglass underpants with flashing lights and a soundtrack of 1930s Shanghai songs; as well as Chen Wenling's similarly satirical observation on China's emerging wealthy class, this time in the form of a porcine red car with an 11-metre gold tongue. You'll also find Jiao Xingtao's commentary-laden sculptures, plus Bu Hua's cigarette-smoking schoolgirl, Bingyi's Six Accounts of a Floating Life and Jin Nv's installation of starched children's clothing. There'll also be a theatrette program of Chinese video art. Images: Chen Yanyin. 1949 Young Pioneers of Communist China. 2010. bronze, paint. / White Rabbit Gallery.
Since the first case was identified in the Bondi area on Wednesday, June 16, Sydney's latest COVID-19 cluster has just kept growing. Ten new locally acquired cases were identified in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday, Tuesday, June 22, and another 13 have been reported so far today, Wednesday, June 23. As a result, the New South Wales Government is bringing back a number of restrictions in the Greater Sydney region. Come 4pm today, Sydneysiders will need to scale back their activities in a number of settings and wear masks in more places. Announced this morning by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, the changes will apply to the Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour areas, and will be in effect for the next week — so at least until 4pm on Wednesday, June 30. These restrictions go further than the last set of rules that were introduced back in May, which was the last time that Sydney experienced an outbreak . Today, the Premier advised that "because this period of COVID is causing transmission and very fleeting exchanges, and given the number of people who have been in isolation or otherwise have contracted the disease, this means we need to take further action." https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1407504776300953608 Within homes in Greater Sydney, only five people will be allowed, including children. Outside of the house, masks will be mandatory again in all indoor spaces — not just on public transport and in public indoor spaces, but in workplaces and all non-residential settings as well. And, face coverings will be compulsory at organised outdoor events also, such as sports matches and concerts. If you're having a beverage in a bar, you're being asked to sit down. So yes, vertical drinking at pubs, clubs, restaurants and the like has been scrapped again, too. You'll need to sit down to eat as well, and dancing and singing will be banned again everywhere except weddings — which will only be able to have 20 people on the dance floor at once. "We don't want mingling," said the Premier, with the one person per four-square-metre rule also coming back into effect in all indoor and outdoor settings. Major events such as sporting events and concerts will have a 50-percent capacity cap, gym classes will be limited to 20, and public transport is back to sitting and standing at the green dots. Also coming into effect: a limit on where folks who work or live in Sydney's seven identified Local Government Areas can travel. So, if you reside or work in City of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick, you won't be able to leave Sydney for the next week. "Unless you are visiting a relatively in care or have to go to work so unless it is essential travel, you should not be going outside metropolitan Sydney for the next week," the Premier said. Premier Berejiklian also said that she couldn't rule out further restrictions from this point, depending on future case numbers. "We have always said we have considered all the options, but we have always said we will not burden our citizens unless we absolutely have to do," she explained. "We know basically where the super-spreading events have been, we know where the virus is circulating, and we don't want to take any further action than what we have now — but this relies on all of us reining in our behaviour, all of us following the health orders that are coming into place from 4pm." She continued: "I am not ruling out any further action, but I am also confident that if we adhere to the health orders today, we will have a good chance of getting on top of this outbreak. I am not going to rule out further action, I am not gonna rule out what happens beyond a week, because we don't know. We certainly didn't expect this situation a few days ago." Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week — and, if you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days after your visit. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
The buzz around Steam Mill Lane may have died down a bit, but the foodie precinct has just the thing to keep people coming — a massive, laneway-wide happy hour four times per week. Dubbed Steam Sessions, the offering runs every Wednesday through Saturday from 4–7pm, with deals on booze, coffee, food and even discounted pharmacy items — because no one said you can't combine a little boozing with your humdrum errands. The best of include $10 spritzes and $5 draft beers/house wines from Belles Hot Chicken; $10 poke bowls from Fishbowl; and $15 coffee and dessert from Edition Coffee Roasters (3–5pm). Marrickville Pork Roll and Ricefields also have free drink with purchase deals, and, if you happen to get to the area early, Toby's Estate is slinging a $5 coffee and pastry combo from 2–4pm. Plus, on Friday evenings they've got live acts and DJs taking over the laneway too, so you can add a little free entertainment to your cheap knock off drinks.
In 2019, Taco Bell returned to NSW following failed attempts in 1981 (when it was to taken to court by Sydney store Taco Bell's Casa) and 1997. And, where the US Tex-Mex chain is concerned, it seems that the third time is indeed the charm. It opened two more stores in 2020, and now it's slated to add another this year — in May in Green Square. Yes, Sydney is finally getting its second Taco Bell, so Blacktown will no longer be the closest place to get your fix (with the company's other spots located at Newcastle, Albion Park and Ballina. The new eatery will be part of the Infinity by Crown Group retail precinct and sit above Green Square train station. So, you can pick up a Cheesy Chipotle Burrito or Crunchy Taco before you hop on or off public transport — or on your way to or from the new aquatic centre or still-recent library. If the chain's past menus are anything to go by, you can assume that quesadillas, burritos, Crunchwraps, nachos, power bowls and, of course, tacos (including the Gordita Crunch with both a crunchy and soft tortilla) will all be the lineup. It'll be doing dine-in, takeaway and delivery, with the latter particularly great news if you live in the area. An exact opening date hasn't yet been announced; however, patrons can also expect a dedicated entrance just for picking up deliveries, a self-serve music kiosk and a street-art inspired interior by graffiti artist Simon Murray. [caption id="attachment_691725" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dylan Evans[/caption] Taco Bell still has plenty more stores in the works, too, with the chain saying it'll open a minimum of 40 locations across NSW and the ACT in the next three years — we'll let you know when other spots are announced. Find Taco Bell at Infinity by Crown Group, Green Square, 301–303 Botany Road, Zetland from a yet-to-be-announced date in May — we'll update you with details when they come to hand. Top image: Taco Bell Annerley.
If seafood and sourdough is your idea of a perfect culinary pairing, then drop by the CBD's Kitchen by Mike on Tuesdays this March. Mike McEnearney's canteen-style diner is serving up bottomless bowls of Kinkawooka mussels in white wine, parsley and butter every week throughout the month. The stuff-your-face food event may not be a Harry Potter- or Willy Wonka-themed brunch, but hot and fresh mussels is a pretty great way to help cure the midweek blues. And, it's not just mussels you get either. For $45 a head, you get all-you-can-eat mussels, door stops of McEnearney's famed sourdough bread, Pepe Saya butter and two Betoota Bitters. You certainly won't walk away feeling hungry — in fact, we suggest you go wearing your comfiest, stretchiest pants. The deal is on offer as part of Delicious Month Out and is available from 5.30pm weekly until Tuesday, March 31. It's only available with a booking, too — so trot on over to the Kitchen by Mike website and set up an all-you-can-eat date night ASAP.
New restaurants and takeaway joints open every week in Sydney — so much so that it's hard to keep up, let alone determine which ones to visit. But you know what's a good catalyst for trying somewhere new? Free stuff. That's why we're pleased to tell you that, to celebrate the opening of its new North Sydney store, Zeus Street Greek will be giving out free pitas to anyone who visits the new location this Friday, May 18. All you have to do is walk into the Northpoint store between noon and 2pm on Friday and you'll score yourself a free pita. These are ZSG's version of a souvlaki, which you can get filled with chicken or lamb. Plus, for each pita given away on the day, ZSG will donate $2 to suicide prevention charity R U OK?. Just in case you weren't sure if ZSG was a chain yet — the North Sydney outpost is the 20th store to open in Australia. It currently has 11 stores Sydney and a couple across Canberra, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. Zeus Street Greek Northpoint is now open at 100 Miller Street, North Sydney. To celebrate the opening, it will be giving away free pitas on Friday, May 18 from 12–2pm. For more info visit zeusstreetgreek.com.au.
UPDATE, Wednesday, June 19, 2024: Dream Scenario is available to stream via Netflix, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Gushing about Paddington movies, channelling Elvis, screaming about being a vampire, swooning over Cher, kidnapping babies, fighting cults, battling demonic animatronics, driving ambulances, flying with convicts, swapping faces, avenging pet pigs and milking alpacas, Nicolas Cage has gotten himself lodged in many a moviegoer's brain before. Dream Scenario takes that idea to the next level, not with the screen's most-inimitable star as himself — this isn't The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent — but in a film that works as well as it does, and as sharply, because he's its irreplaceable lead. Although writer/director Kristoffer Borgli didn't write his third feature (after DRIB and Sick of Myself) with Cage in mind, there's pure magic in matching his tale of pop-culture virality, fame and its costs to the man born Nicolas Kim Coppola. Who else could play someone so ubiquitous in the collective consciousness that everyone knows him, has deep-seated feelings and opinions about him, and can't stop thinking about him? Albeit for different reasons, it as much a stroke of genius as enlisting Being John Malkovich's namesake. Dream Scenario wears its comparisons to Spike Jonze (Beastie Boys Story) and Charlie Kaufman's (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) masterpiece better than anything else between 1999 and now, other than their subsequent collaboration Adaptation — as starring none other than Cage — and the Kaufman-penned, Michel Gondry (Kidding)-helmed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. David Lynch (Cage's Wild at Heart director) and Ari Aster also come to mind while watching Borgli's film, which blends the surreal and satirical, and also spins a nightmare where dread paints every frame. Aster produces, lending a hand on a movie that pairs well with his own Beau Is Afraid, aka another flick where a schlubby, awkward and unhappy middle-aged man has his life upended in no small part thanks to his own anxiety. Dream Scenario isn't attempting to ape its predecessors, or Borgli's own Sick of Myself, another musing on celebrity, attention and the fact that almost everything about 21st-century existence has become a performance. Rather, the Norwegian filmmaker's latest plays like its title suggests: the product of slumbering while having all of the above swirling, twirling and dancing in your synapses — and with Cage always lurking, of course. The Renfield actor loiters as the bulk of Dream Scenario's characters get some shuteye, too, skulking on the edge of nocturnal reveries conjured up by their sleeping subconscious. But for the folks within Borgli's movie, they're sharing their headspace with an average biology professor that no one outside of his own university has initially heard of. Even then, his students and colleagues barely think twice about him. One former classmate-turned-fellow academic (Paula Boudreau, Take Me Back for Christmas) has ripped off his research for her book without worrying about any repercussions. When Dream Scenario opens inside the napping mind of Paul's teenage daughter Sophie (Lily Bird, The Northman), she's witnessing him sweep up leaves, then do nothing when items fall from the sky and she flies into the air. In a reaction that the feature makes plain would be shared by his other high-schooler daughter Hannah (Jessica Clement, Gen V), plus his wife Janet (Julianne Nicholson, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), she believes it's strange enough to tell him about — and that it keeps recurring — but isn't losing sleep over why he's so passive. Cage plays Paul Matthews, who far more people than just one of his children is spotting when they close their peepers. Soon, it's harder to find someone who isn't dreaming about him among his pupils, acquaintances, exes, his city, America and globally. A past love (Marnie McPhail Diamond, Orphan Black: Echoes) pens an article about the phenomenon, which thrusts Paul to worldwide attention in everyone's waking hours as well. And there is attention, springing from the internet, the news, a lofty old pal (Dylan Baker, Hunters) who never normally invites him to his exclusive dinner parties, and social-media marketers Trent (Michael Cera, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) and Mary (Kate Berlant, The Other Two). With their assistant Molly (Dylan Gelula, Loot), the latter duo endeavour to capitalise upon Paul's yearning to get published by pitching Sprite campaigns and dangling Barack Obama's purported interest. The one largely non-plussed party: Janet, who isn't seeing him as she snoozes, but Paul tries to make wish that she was (and in a Stop Making Sense-style oversized suit). That Paul's pilfered work focuses on "antelligence", his term for creatures arranging themselves into communities, is a telling early detail in Dream Scenario. So is how much Janet's apathy about Paul suddenly being everywhere as the planet kips — pottering rather than engaging — differs from the general response. And, obviously, there's the entire gag about someone who stands out so scarcely when they're awake that they're only given any notice for being an overnight bystander who literally does nothing. As it digs into crowd behaviour, group think, herd reactions, psychological contagion and social conformity, Dream Scenario is rarely subtle, nor is Borgli trying to be. Eschewing nuance doesn't make the picture any less shrewd and playful, however, including when it starts embracing the blatant in the heartiest of ways after Paul's luck twists. First, his unwitting A Nightmare on Elm Street experience turns terrifying for those inflicted with the dream epidemic, making him an aggressor in their mind's eye. Then, getting to the detail that sparked the film's screenplay, he becomes the new poster child for cancel culture. In a world rightly obsessed with Cage across his 100-plus on-screen credits, no one has likely thought that overlooking the Leaving Las Vegas Oscar-winner — and Adaptation Oscar-nominee — would, should or could happen. That's another of Dream Scenario's stellar jokes, alongside evidence of why this wouldn't be the movie it is without him. No one can ever ignore Cage, especially in one of his finest comic performances as someone so regularly disregarded, then made an icon and later a pariah. In fact, his portrayal of Paul is so rich because he brings such empathy and complexity to a neurotic man who loses control over reality's sense of who he is and can't do anything about it. It's not hard to expect that the much-memed Cage might relate; naming an actor whose go-for-broke commitment is so feverishly stripped of its context by the online masses, making him famous for being Nic Cage over any one project or his talent, is impossible. Cage is visibly having fun as well, as is the entire movie around him. Borgli isn't skewering wokeness, supporting the cancelled or decrying the validity of society deeming some behaviours unacceptable; instead, he's parodying the irrationality of chasing validation through digital exposure and its spread, the narcissism that fuels that urge and beams just as brightly in internet compliance, and the commodification and performativeness of just about everything in 2020s-era life. As shot by Mandy cinematographer Ben Loeb, edited by the filmmaker himself and featuring Cage as a producer — he's that all-in — Dream Scenario is at its best when it's showing rather than telling, though. When its hallucinatory dream sequences prove eerie and unsettling in their mundanity and horrors alike, it draws its audience into a realm where anything can happen, yet the worst usually does in both routine and wild ways. That's when Dream Scenario is exactly what everyone should want in their heads — with Cage, naturally.
Any chance to see Yayoi Kusama's work in Australia is huge news, and reason to make a date — including travel plans, if needed — to get immersed in the Japanese icon's infinity rooms, and also be surrounded by pumpkins and dots. So when the National Gallery of Victoria announced that its big summer 2024–25 showcase would be dedicated to the artist, that was enough to make the resulting exhibition a firm must-see. Adding Friday-night parties to the mix is the cherry on top, then. How many ways can Melbourne go dotty for Kusama? It's time to find out from the exhibition's opening on Sunday, December 15, 2024, although answers have been arriving in advance. Kusama's five-metre-tall dot-covered Dancing Pumpkin sculpture has made NGV International's Federation Court its home first. Then came the revelation that the showcase will feature a world record-breaking number of infinity rooms and other immersive installations. And, outside the gallery on St Kilda Road, Kusama's Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees has wrapped the trunks of more than 60 trees in pink-and-white polka-dotted material. NGV Friday Nights often forms part of the venue's high-profile exhibitions, so it should come as no surprise that the event series is back for Yayoi Kusama. The after-hours parties kick off on Friday, December 20, 2024 for some pre-Christmas fun, then run for 18 weeks until Friday, April 18, 2025. Come quittin' time for the week, Melburnians can add spots to their late-night shenanigans. If you're making a visit from interstate, you'll want to ensure you time it to hit one of the soirees on your trip. Seeing art is obviously on the NGV Friday Nights itinerary, but so is music and culinary experiences. The NGV's Great Hall will welcome live DJ sets, including from Dijok, Small FRY, Elle Shimada, Tanzer and more. In the NGV Garden Restaurant, acclaimed chefs Martin Benn is doing a residency for the exhibition's duration, serving up Asian-inspired dishes using Australian produce, Attendees can also look forward to other dining and drinking options, such as the Moët & Chandon champagne bar, Four Pillars gin bar, Yering Station wine bar and Häagen-Dazs ice cream cart — so there's sparkling, G&Ts, wine flights and frozen treats covered — plus a Japanese-inspired menu from the Great Hall and Gallery Kitchen. Gracing NGV International's walls until Monday, April 21, 2025, Yayoi Kusama features over 180 works, in the largest Kusama retrospective that Australia has ever seen — as well as one of the most-comprehensive retrospectives devoted to the artist to be staged globally, not to mention the closest that you'll get to experiencing her Tokyo museum without leaving the country. Images: Michael Pham / Tobias Titz.
Hijacked III is the third in a series connecting photographers from Australia and overseas. This offering focuses on a link between our shores and the UK. Christian Thompson’s *Untitled #7 * shows a giant figure wrapped in soft fabric except for painted white hands. A powerful gaze projects out from under the hood of patternd fabric. The figure seems to be regarding visitors from a wiser place and offering them illumination in the cut plastic water bottle it offers to the viewer. Sarah Pickering’s Landmine and Artillery from her Explosion series each show one instant pop of army explosives during training exercises. The images spark (one literally) with energy and the beautiful swirl of particulate matter, beautiful to watch. But these are killing machines. Tracey Moffat’s series of plantation Dyptichs show a rural Australia washed in orange as though on fire. In some, actually aflame. For Inside the View, Helen Sear scratches away one photograph to reveal another landscape beneath. The overlaid images are each portraits of backs of heads, and inside them the scratching reveals their dreams of forests or fiery moments in the night sky. Melinda Gibson’s The Photograph as Contemporary Art follows a similar path, but with sharp cuts taking the place of Sear’s scratchings. Seba Kurtis’ A Few Days More series explores migration in the Americas from South- to North-, but his photos of horses and urban moments are in love with the blown out lights of the american cityscape. Maciej Dakowicz lights on the kisses, dresses and near misses of a night out on Cardiff’s St Mary St. Tony Greaves’ Radical Love series shows nuns at play and Laura Pannack has a stunning sad, alluring and intimate portrait of first love with her uncanny Graham. In this exhibition the hijacking of nationality takes second place to the actual hijacking going on: great photographers taking over ordinary moments and bringing them to shimmering life. Image from Maciej Dakowicz's Cardiff After Dark.
The benefits of yoga aren't exactly a secret. It can help you focus your mind, hone your body, and even practice your dance moves. Unfortunately, picking it up can be rather intimidating,, and your first few sessions will mostly just make you feel like a gangly, uncoordinated klutz. Fortunately, Bondi has one of the best yoga studios in Sydney, and they offer great deals for new students. At BodyMindLife Bondi you can get a 30-day beginner membership for just $48, giving you unlimited yoga access. As you grow more experienced you can try various different classes, participate in Pilates and check out regular community events and workshops featuring yogi guests from all around the world. Their yogi lounge even has complimentary herbal tea, so you can unwind after a sequence. Best of all, memberships are valid at any BodyMindLife studio, meaning you can drop by their locations in Surry Hills, Redfern and Potts Point too.
Long before movie fans had ever even heard of social distancing — before we all failed to notice the term when it was uttered in Contagion, too — drive-in cinemas had perfected the concept. So, it should come as zero surprise that these outdoor picture palaces are popping up with frequency in 2020. The latest: The Sunset Drive-In Cinema, from the folks usually behind Sydney's Sunset Cinema. Running from Thursday, October 1–Saturday, October 31 at the St Ives Showground, it'll screen both new release and retro titles on the north shore. It'll also serve up movie snacks, naturally, plus a range of other bites to eat from onsite food trucks. If you'd prefer to BYO food, however, that's completely okay. As for what you'll be watching, it's a varied lineup. Get extra comfy in your car to check out Christopher Nolan's 150-minute-long mind-bender Tenet, see if The New Mutants manages to combine horror with superheroes, or watch a particularly beardy Seth Rogen in An American Pickle. If you're more in the mood for nostalgia, you can opt for a Mean Girls and Clueless double, do the Time Warp with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, revisit Pulp Fiction's various intertwined tales (and Quentin Tarantino's memorable dialogue) or have the time of your life with Dirty Dancing. And, on Halloween, you can also indulge in some old-school bumps and jumps with Scream and The Blair Witch Project. Tickets cost $50 per car, which is particularly good news if your wheels (or your mates') has plenty of seats. That price covers up to eight people in one vehicle, if that's how many folks your car can fit legally. Plus, pooches are allowed, but they must stay on a leash at all times. The Sunset Drive-In Cinema runs from Thursday, October 1–Saturday, October 31 at the St Ives Showground.
Margaret River is a wine tourism hotspot for good reason. It produces 20 percent of Australia's vino, features more than 95 cellar doors and is home to some of the best grapes in the country. And it does all of that amid a scenic trifecta of beautiful white-sand beaches, rugged bushland and sprawling vineyards. Good wine demands good food, and Margs has never been a slouch in that department, boasting many small farms and boutique producers. There are markets and food trucks galore, but to truly experience what can be done with Margaret River's finest produce, you have to head to the region's restaurants. Given the ingredients they're working with, it's hard to find a place that isn't serving up delicious food, whether it's in a theatrical open kitchen, a rustic farm-to-table eatery or a cute cafe. With many wonderful spots to choose from, the tricky bit can be narrowing it down to one holiday itinerary's worth of eating. So we've put our heads together with Virgin Australia to do just that and picked five places that stand at the summit of any Margaret River food adventure. BREW SHACK Tucked away on a small street off Margaret River's main shopping and dining strip, the Brew Shack makes quite possibly the best coffee in town. The cafe's cosy space is well utilised, with rustic wooden decor and bright pops of yellow and blue creating a warm atmosphere that's only improved by the 'no wifi' rule that, via chalkboard, asks customers to "pretend like it's the 90s and talk to each other". When you're not engaging your mouth in conversation, direct it towards one of the cafe's acai bowls for a taste of the region's finest fresh seasonal fruit. 2/124 Bussell Highway, Margaret River BUNKERS BEACH HOUSE There's so much more to Bunkers Beach House than just the pretty beachfront view — although we have to admit that is a pretty big bonus. Scenery aside, the Bunker Bay restaurant offers the perfect opportunity to kick back and relax while you enjoy some sensational modern Australian cuisine. Seafood dishes are the standouts of the menu. Melt-in-your-mouth options like charred Busselton octopus with XO sauce and blood lime or grilled Shark Bay scallops with seaweed and miso butter lure in diners again and again. If you love a long lunch, then this is the place to indulge. Farm Break Lane, Naturaliste BURGER BABY Sometimes all you want is a big juicy burger. If you find yourself feeling that way in Margaret River, the place to go is Burger Baby. Opened at the end of 2017, it's quickly made a name for itself as the best burger joint in town. The menu covers all the bases, offering everything from a vegan spicy lentil burger on buttery brioche to a finger-licking-good Korean-inspired pork belly creation topped with kimchi and slaw. Locals love it as a chilled hang spot, with couches, fireplaces and a range of beers from some of the best breweries in the area. Give the hand-brewed Cheeky West Coast IPA a go. 117 Bussell Highway, Margaret River ARIMIA No visit to Margaret River could possibly be complete without a stopover at Arimia. Set on a sprawling countryside estate that doubles as a working farm, the award-winning restaurant takes sustainable food to a whole new level without compromising on taste. Pigs that are raised on-site are used to make succulent braised pork leg ragout, while olives grown on trees you can spot from your table provide sharp bursts of flavour on the shared plates — pretty incredible, right? We certainly think so. 242 Quininup Road, Wilyabrup MIKI'S OPEN KITCHEN What's in a name? At Miki's Open Kitchen, everything. It's unassumingly located at the back of a small shopping arcade, but inside, this degustation-oriented Japanese restaurant isn't scared of putting on a show. For the best seats in the house, make sure to book ahead so you can sit at the counter. It offers the best vantage point to watch in awe as owner-chef Mikihito Nagai and his team use ingredients like Margaret River Wagyu and Exmouth Rankin cod to take you on a tour across Western Australia without you ever having to leave your seat. 131 Bussell Highway, Margaret River If you're now eagerly planning a visit to Margaret River, check out Virgin Australia's holiday packages — which offer everything from chilled-out cottages to massive resorts.
Before you install that hot tub in your backyard, allow HotTug to welcome you to the future. A wood stove in the front of the boat heats the 2000 litres of water to a toasty temperature. You can rent the HutTug in two different versions, one with integrated electric motor of 2.4 KW and another with outboard engine. The office is located in The Netherlands, but don't panic: international rentals and sales (starting at around 9,000 Euros) are possible. HotTug is available in the standard black but is available in blue and red, too. All you have to do is find some friends, pick a colour and before you know it you'll be hanging out in water submerged in more water.
Another restaurant has joined the expanding Campbell's Stores waterfront precinct. But unlike its neighbours, there's no menu at Bay Nine Omakase. 'Omakase' translates loosely to "I'll leave it up to you", and the guy you'll be leaving your dinner to is Tomohiro Marshall Oguro, Bay Nine's Head Chef and one of the youngest omakase head chefs in Sydney. This guy has a serious pedigree. He's trained under renowned seafood specialist and restaurateur Stephen Hodges, acclaimed sushi chef Naoki Fukazawa (Yoshii, Sushi-E, Ocean Room) and Executive Chef and founder of Manmaruya, Hideki Goto. So what about the restaurant? Well, Bay Nine is a few scattered tables and a cosy 10-seater counter where you sit around Oguro while he prepares 11 courses of high-quality Japanese food. All you have to do is watch and eat. It's dinner and theatre, all in one spot. The fit-out is classic wabi-sabi minimalism: all blond timber and soft underlighting, wrapped in a heritage-listed 19th-century warehouse space. The omakase menu will change every day, depending on what's in season and what fish is available at the city's best seafood suppliers. Oguro developed some serious industry contacts while running the wholesale operation at Cummins Seafood. Basically, you're getting the freshest, top-quality ingredients, prepared by one of Sydney's hottest young chefs. But as Oguro says, when it comes to omakase, produce is really only half the story. "You can have the freshest seafood prepared expertly and run your omakase counter with precision, but if you can't engage with your guests, you're starving them of a true omakase experience," he says. "I believe it's just as important to develop a genuine connection with each guest sitting across from me." To wash down your sushi — which comes seared, salted, blanched, steamed, grilled and everything in between — there's a 40-strong sake menu, including dedicated sake flights (highly recommended) and a solid range of Japanese craft spirits. If you're feeling really fancy, there's also Bay Nine's Icon Collection, which includes a $3,500 magnum of 1996 Penfolds Grange Hermitage Bin 95. Maybe clear that one with your SO first. An 11-course omakase dinner at Bay Nine will set you back $180, but there's a six-course and eight-course option, too. You can find Bay Nine at Bay 9 (duh) 7-27 Circular Quay West, The Rocks. Check out their Instagram here.
When Russian painter Victor Hartman died young, in its day his death shocked people as much as the death of Heath Ledger or River Phoenix. And it shocked his friend, composer Modest Mussorgsky. If you've seen Fantasia, you know Mussorgsky. His Night on Bald Mountain was combined with images of the Russian god Czernobog to create a welcoming dark fantasy in the finale. Often packaged with Bald Mountain, his equally famous composition Pictures at an Exhibition takes you on a tour of Hartman's paintings. Inspired by, and written to, the art from Hartman's memorial exhibition, it's a collection of musical sketches drawing you from one scene to the next, a bit like The Nutcracker. It's this collection of pieces which is next up for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, featuring conductor Pinchas Steinberg and piano soloist Ingrid Fliter. Alongside Ravel's arrangement of Pictures, the orchestra will also be summoning the imagery of the light and tragic Tasso, Lament and Triumph by Liszt (who was otherwise famous) and the lively cascades of Schumann's Piano Concerto. If you want an evening of spry piano, taut strings and musical imagery, then the Opera House's Concert Hall is your picture place to be. Original painting of the Great Gate at Kiev by Victor Hartmann.
More than 60 people have been injured and 19 hospitalised after a stampede at Falls Festival's Lorne leg on Friday evening. The incident occurred after DMA's finished their set on the Grand Theatre Stage, when many in the crowd tried to make their way to see London Grammar on the Valley Stage. The Age reports that a number of patrons slipped and lost their footing during the move, resulting in leg, rib, hip, pelvic, head, facial and spinal injuries and fractures, as well as cuts and bruises. "It was quite a chaotic scene and required a major response," said Ambulance Victoria state health commander Paul Holman. Punters took to social media to post about the traumatic and chaotic experience, including reports of broken bones, panic attacks, people passing out, trampling and many fearing for their lives. "This was the most scariest thing ever! I will never forget what I saw last night," wrote one Falls attendee. "It's hectic and she said it was the worst thing she has ever experienced in her life," posted the sister of another. https://twitter.com/kewesting/status/814859083740102656 Festival organisers also took to social media to issue a statement, reflecting the fact that entertainment in the Grand Theatre was suspended for the remainder of the evening, but noting that normal programming will resume on Saturday. Many responses to their post have been rightfully critical of the setup that allowed the incident to occur in the first place — this isn't their first time hosting a popular event of this size, with a mass migration between stages and sets a common occurrence not just at Falls, but at every other music festival. The Lorne crowd crush occurs just days after a 21-year-old woman was struck and killed by a falling tree branch at the Lost Paradise festival on the NSW Central Coast. With plenty of festivals in full swing over New Year's — and the peak festival period upon us during summer — here's hoping for a safe rest of the season. If you're attending a fest, look after each other. Image: Falls Festival.
Everyone's favourite whimsical seaside house is back for another year. Master of whimsy, The Grounds of Alexandria is returning to Bondi's Sculpture by the Sea for a third year, relaunching their pop-up cafe along the scenic walk at Tamarama from October 20 to November 6. The styling this year has moved away from last year's Hobbiton (so long Sackville-Bagginses, you fools!) to gallop full pace towards a Western desert theme. After a recent trip to America's southwest, Ramzey Choker and Therese Moussa (co-founder and creative developer, respectively) have decided that 2016 will be the year of Arizonian architecture and arid vegetation. The traditional hacienda (made with insulating adobe, so popular in warmer climates) is the structural inspiration this year. You can expect bountiful succulents and cacti, as well as textured floral rooftop of seaside daisies. The Hobbit-style house from last year will be remade into an American southwest oasis, popping with terracotta peach, coral and salmon — so make sure you bring your selfie stick. The outside will be treated with a green patina (like an oxidised copper) to give it a weathered look. It's an interior decorating dream come to life. "We want to create a house that blends in with the sunrise; we've designed it to be in harmony with its surroundings in Bondi and want it to feel like it's been sitting on the hill for years," said Moussa. Chef Paul McGrath will be serving up a selection of the Grounds fare, including brekkie bowls, seafood platters and signature burgers with some Arizonian flavours (which are, for the record, lime, chilli and coconut) thrown in for good measure. The pop-up will be open from 7am until 7pm each day.
If your pockets are feeling a little lighter after Christmas shopping and many end-of-year celebrations, you're in luck. Sydney Festival has today announced it's offering $31 tickets to 34 of its shows — so you don't need to forgo your culture and art fix come January. And you don't need to lineup for these cheap tickets, either. Sydney Festival has teamed up with TodayTix, an app aiming to make theatre affordable for all, for its 2020 Tix For Next to Nix program, which lets you snag two $26 tickets (plus $5 booking fee per ticket) to a same-day performance. A limited number of cheap tickets are available from 9am–midday (or until sold out) on the morning of the show via the TodayTix app. This means, you can snag the cheap tix on your phone — from the comfort of your bed. The cheap tickets will be available every day throughout the festival — which runs from January 8–26 — for cabaret shows, circus, live music and theatre. Highlights from the Tix For Next to Nix program include Joan Didion's The White Album, which sees the author's 79 essays brought to life on the stage; a comedy by First Nations theatre companies Ilbijerri and Te Rēhia called Black Ties; a 30-year revival of Aboriginal stage musical Bran Nue Dae; a futuristic performance by avant-garde musician Holly Herndon; and family-oriented circus piece Air Play. [caption id="attachment_748193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined[/caption] Discounted shows also include a reboot of seminal 70s Aussie cabaret Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined and supernatural theatre Night Parade of One Hundred Goblins, which leads you through the AGNSW's new Japan Supernatural exhibition. The catch is that to 'unlock' the Tix For Next to Nix tickets, you'll need to share a post about TodayTix on your social media. But, with some of these tickets going for upwards of $100, it's a share we're more than willing to make. Set your alarm. TodayTix is offering $26 tickets (plus $5 booking fee each) to Sydney Festival shows every day from 9am January 8–26. You can download the app for iOS and Android. To find out more about Tix For Next to Nix, head to the Sydney Festival website. Image: Air Play by Florence Montmare.
Whether it's after a hard day at the office, a hard morning of exercise or a hard evening of heavy drinking, there are few sweeter reliefs than an ice cold beer. And thanks to Pat's Backcountry Beverages, you can brew your own beer whenever and wherever you so desire with these tasty, transportable sachets. Simply pour the packet of beer concentrate in a special carbonation bottle, add water and shake, and you have yourself the world's most convenient six-pack. Perfect for campers and hikers, the Alaskan company assures its customers that they haven't sacrificed transportability for taste, claiming that the sachets will give you the "same great taste you're used to in a premium micro beer". To find out more have a look at this demonstration video and get brewing.
Celebrate the Year of the Snake this Lunar New Year with a series of compelling events at World Square. Running until February 2, visitors will catch a vibrant array of cultural performances and interactive experiences that might just inspire a healthy transformation. The headline attraction is a dazzling cherry blossom forest, where a kaleidoscopic display of neon-pink LED blooms will adorn soaring cherry blossom trees. Serving as a symbol of growth and renewal, this festive event is a whimsical adventure rich in cultural significance. At the centre of the forest is the customary wishing tree, where visitors are invited to attach their hopes for the coming year. Spend $15 at a nearby participating retailer if you're keen to get a custom wishing card. Also taking place in World Square throughout the event is a line-up of traditional entertainment. Lion dancing is bound to prove popular, with a Cai Qing ceremony featuring colourful costumes and captivating routines that bless those watching on with health and happiness. There's also the chance to learn traditional Chinese calligraphy. Fascinating artists will lead a live demonstration where they'll effortlessly shape auspicious characters and symbols. Meanwhile, talented musicians will add to the ambience with enchanting melodies. Best of all, the entire event is free.
We're all partial to indulging with a little treat at the end of a long, hard day. For some, it's dessert. For others, it's a nip of single malt scotch. So it was only a matter of time before someone brought those two things together to create one decadent treat. Yes, we talking about a dessert-inspired whisky. That's exactly what Glenmorangie's Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden has done with his newest release, A Tale of Cake. Unafraid to take on a challenge, Lumsden started experimenting years ago by using dessert wine casks, sourced from Hungarian's award-winning producer Royal Tokaji, in the whisky aging process. He was interested to see how the distinctive sweetness of the dessert wine could complement the whisky. He began with the usual process of making Glenmorangie's single malt: distilling it in the towering copper stills and aging in bourbon casks to give its signature citrus notes. The product was then transferred to the Royal Tokaji casks for further aging. The end result was A Tale of Cake, a complex drop that releases tropical fruit aromas (passionfruit, peach and mango) and sweet candy-like flavours — think honey, white chocolate and apricot — followed by a smooth aftertaste of honeycomb, chocolate and nuts. If that description has your mouth watering, you'll be very pleased to learn that we have a bottle of this limited-edition drop to give away. Just enter your details below to be in the running. Can't wait that long? A Tale of Cake is also available to purchase from Boozebud, Porters and other leading independent bottle shops. And keep an eye out for the activation at Barangaroo's Smoke Bar later this month, where you'll get to try the new whisky in an experimental cocktail alongside an expertly paired dessert (aka the Glenmorangie Caketail). [competition]788757[/competition] Image: Kimberley Low
When you're a child it seems everyone is older than you: there's the nosey neighbour, the doting pseudo-grandma, the spiteful widow and the grumpy old man who sits on the patio, finger shaking erratically. Whether they like it or not each of them bear witness to your messy childhood: the bloody noses, the scraped knees and the broken windows. All the while your throwing arm gets stronger, your running strides get longer and your teeth, well they aren't really sure what they're doing. Fast-forward 20 years and look who you bump into. It's old Mr Shakes-his-finger: "Oh you haven't changed a bit,” he says. “You're still that scrappy little boy struggling to grow into his frames." You stare blankly, brow furrowed. Minutes later you’re rummaging through the old family albums only to realise the old bleeder is right. You're the spitting image of your former self. Just ask Buenos Aires artist Irina Werning whose ongoing photography series is all about going 'Back to the Future'. Through this modern-day venture Werning indulges her love for photos from the past by asking today's adult to recreate yesterday's child. The side-by-side visuals are an amazing insight into the magic of time, youth and the joys of trying to recapture it. Irina Werner
Food. Wine. Art. If any of these words pique your interest, Sydney's four-day celebration is for you. Uniting people in the spirit of Bastille Day, the event is back for a sixth year with another killer lineup. This year's street fest will not only take over Circular Quay, but also expand to The Rocks as well — for the first time in the event's history. Attendees can expect everything from fire twirlers and magicians to opera singers and salsa dancers, from a lineup that includes live concerts, DJ sets, cabaret and street performances day and night. Plus, because all that wandering and watching is hunger and thirst-inducing, a delicious assortment of specialty food, beer and wine offerings will keep guests fed and watered. Tuck into fresh raclette, settle in for a few brews at the returning Electro Beer Garden, grab a glass of sparkling from the Champagne bar — and, as the sun sets, head to the open-air cinema to watch a flick. If previous years are anything to go by, Bastille Festival will be an epic showcase of food, wine and art. Are you ready to join the revolution?
There comes a time every year when we must officially commence the sad countdown to the end of hot summery days and start preparing for our inevitable winter hibernation spent under a blanket watching Netflix. But fortunately, 2018 has more than proved it has a few sunny weeks left, even if summer is well and truly over. To help you absorb the maximum amount of vitamin D into your body before the sun officially sets on warmer climes, we've teamed up with the summer aficionados at Magnum to provide some inspo for things you can do to make the most out of the handful of sunny days we have left. This year, Magnum collaborated with three incredible Australian designers to take its creamy delights to the next level. The sartorial brains behind Romance Was Born, Bec and Bridge and By Johnny were all invited to co-create their own limited edition ice cream flavours to encapsulate their labels' unique styles — and most importantly, to help us savour summer in a stylish way. Romance was Born swirled tangy raspberry with rich chocolate truffle sauce to create a vibrant nod to its otherworldly fashion. Johnny Schembri of By Johnny created a homage to his simple silhouettes in the form of a hazelnut, slightly salted vanilla number. And Bec and Bridge upped the ante on the classic caramelly dulce de leche as a nod to effortless European style. Here's how to worship the last of those summery vibes — fashionable Magnum in hand. SPEND A LAZY DAY BY THE WATER When summer is officially over, it's those long lazy days spent by the sea that we miss the most. So, pack your towel, a sensible amount of SPF, a selection of fresh fruits and a sneaky box of dulce de leche Magnums by Bec and Bridge in a cooler bag, and make the most of the warm days where you can justify spending an entire day laying in the sun. Be sure you invite that one responsible adult friend who brings a waterproof speaker and an esky full of cool drinks so you can fully honour the sun gods by listening to some sweet beats. Where? Wylie's Baths in Sydney, St Kilda Beach in Melbourne and Stradbroke Island near Brisbane. INDULGE IN A LITTLE ALFRESCO DINING AND A MOVIE While the weather permits, there are plenty of amazing spots to indulge in some outdoor dining — extra points if you support your local food scene by picking an eatery that's cosy and family-owned. Enjoy a hearty meal, but forgo any decadent dessert. Instead, pick up a box of By Johnny hazelnut salted vanilla Magnums so you can have one while you stroll to the cinema to catch one of the many amazing Oscar-nominated films that are still showing. If there's still stomach room, be the envy of your fellow choc-toppers, when you whip out another secret squirrel Magnum during the previews. Where? Hayden Orpheum in Sydney, The Astor Theatre in Melbourne and New Farm Cinemas in Brisbane. PICNIC AMONG THE FLOWERS Savour the remaining warm afternoons by gathering some close friends, finding a sunny spot in the park and summoning all your foodie powers to create the most exquisite picnic to say goodbye to summer once and for all. Think mismatched picnic blankets, wicker baskets filled with a few bottles of rose and a world of delectable treats. Take your spread to the next level by investing in an array of cheeses (you can never have too many), a selection of cold cuts from a local deli, a few punnets of fresh berries and — for something a little wild — an esky full of raspberry chocolate truffle Magnums by the lords of whimsy at Romance was Born. Where? The Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Savour the last days of warmth outside and with a luxe Magnum in hand.
Now that you've seen how many cafes, bars and restaurants have popped up in the Hills region, you shouldn't be surprised by the fact that Castle Towers shopping centre is running a new program called The Cooking School over April and May—a series of food-focused events, workshops and cooking classes. Part of the range of food culture workshops is the Wine and Cheese Matching class, hosted by Sabino Matera—an Italian born Australian immigrant whose family were regional farmers with strong ties to the land. His family grew their own fruits and vegetables, and made their own wine to accompany their meals. A constant staple on the table was wine and cheese. Matera will teach you to tune into your senses—vision, smell and taste—in order to produce perfect cheese and wine pairings. In this hands-on workshop, you'll be given a background into the different varietals of wine and cheese (with tastings as you go), while enjoying a glass of wine and some delicious artisanal cheeses. By the end of the class you'll have the confidence to match cheese and wine in your own home. Get your tickets here.
Instruction manuals are often hard to read while trying to complete a task such as fixing a car or, perhaps, (on a more delicate scale) fixing a human. But multitasking may become much easier for surgeons, and the rest of us, as we'll soon be able to see instructions and displays by just putting on Freaunhofer's new data glasses and looking up. The days of rummaging through the pages of a mechanical handbook while belly-up under your car could be over. For those of you who read M.T. Anderson's, Feed, your worst nightmare is coming true. (Okay, this is a slight exaggeration, seeing as the glasses are not implanted within our brains. Still, our techonology is closer than ever to the power the 'feed'.) OLED microdisplay allows you to see not only the real world but also a wealth of virtual information completely controlled by your eyes. The photodiodes work as a camera, tracking the user's eye movement, while the OLED pixels display the document within the glasses. A simple glance at the back or forward arrow will change the page to the users liking. The page is displayed to the user at about 1 metre in height. Researchers presented the system at the electronica trade fair in Munich in November 2012. Fraunhofer Institue for Optronics developed the device with COMEDD and near-the-eye technologies specialist TRIVISIO.
Over Easter, KFC spread some paschal cheer — and some of its finger lickin' good fried chicken — with free delivery. This weekend mightn't be a special occasion or include any public holidays, but now it's McDonald's turn to share the fast food love. If you're craving a Quarter Pounder or a box of chicken McNuggets and you don't fancy leaving the house, Maccas is offering free home delivery on orders over $25 via UberEats. The limited-time offer is available nationwide and runs until Sunday, April 19. To get your hands on a burg, some fries, a Happy Meal, McFlurry or a hot fudge sundae — or anything else on the chain's regular menu — with no extra delivery cost, head to UberEats' website or use the UberEats app and enter the code MACCASWEEKEND. The entire transaction will be contact-free, including when it hits your doorstep. And, if you're after a few household staples, Maccas is also delivering milk, plus six-packs of English muffins and its gourmet buns. Or, of course, you can ignore whatever time of day it is and go straight for a McMuffin, hash brown and some hot cakes. McDonalds is offering free delivery across Australia on orders over $25 made via UberEats, with the special available until Sunday, April 19. To order, head here and use the code MACCASWEEKEND. Images: McDonalds.
See the sky set alight this New Years Eve from Sydney's newest terrace bar, The Butler. Pott Point's latest arrival is putting on a lavish, seven-course banquet to welcome 2015 in style. Tipped to guarantee ticketholders an impressive selection of French flavours with an unexpected Caribbean twist, this intimate soiree offers sweet city views and an equally impressive feast to match. At $200pp, entry to this sky-high tropical hideout comes at a bit of a cost. But with whispers of French champagne on arrival and best-seat-in-the-house views of the fireworks, this is one NYE party to entice partygoers after a more sit-down yet lively affair.
After being such a hit last year, Rye July at The Glenmore is back for more. What does this celebration of rye, scotch, whiskey and whisky mean for you? It means a whole entire month of glorious one-off appreciation classes, cocktails and tastings on the cosy lounge level. Delicious. Aside from the Rye July cocktails and whisky tasting flights, there are four main events. Experience whiskies from across Scotland and Ireland at the Scotch tasting and Irish tasting nights. Learn how to make classic American whiskey-based cocktails in the American cocktail making class. Go through the complete range of whiskies at An evening with Johnnie Walker. All classes have food provided by The Glenmore kitchen. If July is too cold for you, warm yourself up from the inside out. Limited tickets are available for each event. For more information or to book tickets, email info@theglenmore.com.au or call (02) 9247 4794.
This May, Darling Quarter is teaming up with Two Good Co — a social enterprise that supports, empowers and employs women who have experienced homelessness, domestic abuse and complex trauma — to present Change The Course, a long lunch that aims to have a lasting impact. The event will welcome 120 foodies to enjoy dishes by some of Australia's best chefs in this feel-good highlight of American Express delicious. Month Out. The three-course menu includes dishes by Maggie Beer, Mike McEnearney and Alanna Sapwell-Stone, prepared by Two Good Co and Darling Quarter retailers, and selected from Two Good Co's cookbook Change The Course. There'll also be matched organic and biodynamic wines from Mudgee's Lowe Family Wine Co, while teetotallers can quaff zero-alc wine alternatives by NON. The day will also feature roving entertainers and plenty of photo ops, as well as a panel discussion exploring the power of food and social enterprises. The ticket price also incudes a copy of Two Good Co's Change The Course cookbook, and will also help provide a meal for a person in refuge.
As any Sydney seafood aficionado should know by now, The Morrison has a constant focus on the not-so-humble oyster. While its annual Oyster Festival is over for the year, the CBD bar is keeping the festive feels going with an oyster and bottomless bubbles deal — available all weekend, every weekend. On offer all day Saturday and Sunday, the deal features a dozen oysters and two hours of bottomless sparkling wine for just $55. If you're feeling extra fancy — and extra flush — you can upgrade to Piper-Heidsieck champagne for an additional $60 a head (a casual $115 each, in total). As this offer is available all day, it means you can rock up at midday for a luxe brunch, at 3pm for a boozy arvo session or at 8pm for a post-dinner snack (and sip). Bookings are recommended, though, and can be made over at The Morrison website.
Summer in Sydney isn't just about the beaches. It's also the time of year when our city's arts and culture calendar really booms. From an emerging art fair and a short film fest to Solange at the Opera House and the absolutely massive Sydney Festival program, the early months of 2020 are looking like an impressive bunch. It's time to start sorting through the lot and filling up your days with all things culture, instead of just all things sun and sand. To help you out, we've teamed up with our mates over at inner city-inspired brewer Atomic Beer Project to bring you seven events happening in 2020 that every Sydney culture vulture should add to their calendar ASAP.
"We all play games in our lives, whether we admit it or not." Yaeli Ohana's introduction to this sequence of her work explains it as coming from a realisation that the strategies we learn in play as children come to shape how we approach adult challenges. Textual and numerical symbols from toys and puzzles are superimposed on abstractions in ways that remind the viewer of paint-by-numbers or literally portray a word-search; images of dice and toy soldiers overlay conflicted landscapes; small florals are like incredibly delicate textbook plates. All these 'games' refer to learning strategies and repetition and to the child's development of competitive and communicative strategies. The metaphors of repetition and negotiation within games, which in turn stand for situations in adult life, are evident in the series of works as a whole as well as individually. The style of the works layers motifs and symbols and colours over paintings in a way that shows how they have been built up and where the choices have been made. Colours and dimensions vary significantly, from playing cards to the large-scale War Games works, as do the effects of watercolours, gilt and oils and the illustrative or gestural ways in which they're applied. Walking around the room, you recognise that these superimpositions of the symbols of childhood play are not introducing new elements to our perspective, just reminding us that they formed a part of it all along.
It has been a couple of years since The Jungle Collective first started taking over Australian warehouses and slinging plenty of plants, all thanks to its huge sales in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. These leafy excuses to fill your home with greenery always have a bit of a celebratory vibe, and they just keep coming, with the outfit's next New South Wales outing — a Springtime Splendour sale — happening across the weekend of Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15. Gorgeous green babies are the main attraction — and more than 170 varieties of them, too. You'll pick up everything from fiddle leafs and monsteras to giant birds of paradise and rubber trees, as well as oh-so-many ferns and hanging plants. You'll also be able to shop for designer pots, get expert advice from the horticulturalists onsite and even nab a $5 discount if you wear a flower crown. It's all happening at Precinct 75, at 75 Mary Street, St Peters, with sessions held at 9am, 10.30am, 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, plus 10am and 12pm on Sunday.
If the Biennale's photographic offerings haven't quite quenched your thirst, have a look into Head On Photo Festival, starting with this black-and-white series by influential American photographer Mary Ellen Mark. Spying into the rituals of different cultures, micro-communities and quirky individuals, her work is imbued with both humour and sadness. Mark's global roaming photography typically depicts people living on the margins of society. From the outskirts of Los Angeles to the back streets of Redfern, these searing images are poignant reminders of the vast gulf between prosperity and poverty. Hosted by Stills Gallery, this is Mark’s Australian debut. However, the collection includes a few Sydney-based photographs, dating back to the 1980s. One work portrays a boxer stamped with prison tattoos with a hardened-looking manager hovering behind. It’s a rare glimpse into a working-class scene teeming with booze, blokes and boxing. Another photograph is closer to a studio sitting, revealing an almost identical pair of Greek bridesmaids solemnly positioned side-by-side. With fluffy perms and gaudy gowns, they are a comical vision of '80s excess. It seems Mark is mapping Australia’s growing multiculturalism. In most of these photographs, the intent gaze of the camera is met by the unflinching gaze of the subject. Mark also turns her lens toward a variety of US locales. Here we have another spread of battlers. For instance, there’s The Damm Family in their Car, depicting a Los Angeles tribe huddled together in a self-conscious tableaux. The staging is more transparent in this image, the downward perspective intensifying their isolation and vulnerability. There’s also a young South Carolina girl standing in a paddle pool, cigarette in hand. Exhaling smoke towards the camera, she looks like a pageant queen with a bit of rough sass. With her smudged make-up and shiny swimwear, there is an air of premature sexuality. It is portraits such as these that verge on the bizarre, exposing a social underbelly that presents itself otherwise. Behind the closed doors of suburbia, Mark captures a host of eccentric characters. Some of which are quite amusing and life-affirming. For example, there’s the joyous image of senior citizens in flapper dresses caught mid-Samba at a club in Miami. Further afield, there are a number of portraits revolving around an Indian circus troupe, featuring contortionists and animal tamers, on and off duty. It seems that for Mark, eye contact is the reservoir of emotional affect. The penetrating gaze held by these subjects often seems to reveal information beyond the image itself. Importantly, the level perspective between camera and subject creates an egalitarian relationship that prevents the series from tipping into cliched sympathies.
Adapted from a collection of semi-autobiographical short stories by Instagram-age Renaissance man James Franco, Palo Alto marks the directorial debut of 26-year-old Gia Coppola, the granddaughter and niece of filmmakers Francis Ford and Sofia, respectively. A portrait of teenage disaffection, it's a film that attempts to capture the aimlessness, the angst and the self-aggrandised melancholy of youth. Emma Robert and newcomer Jack Kilmer play April and Teddy, a pair of brooding high schoolers absorbed by personal drama. He's a delinquent skater who's actually an unappreciated artist; she's the neglected daughter of self-absorbed parents who begins an affair with her creepy soccer coach (Franco). Meanwhile, Teddy's best bud Fred (Nate Wolff) finds himself drawn to increasingly anti-social behaviour to hide his insecurities, while another classmate Emily (Zoe Levine) turns to sex in order to hide her own. Palo Alto is in cinemas on August 14, and thanks to Vendetta Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Read our full review here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=sTqMUu1iTIo
French Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee is famed for masterfully ingraining music into his films. The name of his most recent work comes from the chill out song 'Cafe de Flore' by Matthew Herbert, a song that holds extreme resonance for the characters, connecting them across time and place. The music in the film — dominated by the otherworldly Sigur Ros with a smattering of electro, pop and dance in between — is not merely decorative or utilised to invoke emotion; rather, it galvanises people in the most intense of ways and serves to remind them of the tragedy of love lost. In the world of Vallee's characters, music is life altering and transcendent, a profound expression and experience of love. Vallee presents us with two seemingly distinct stories, tales that will be joined at the end in the most surprising of ways. In modern-day Montreal, DJ Antoine (Kevin Parent) is deeply in love with his partner, Rose (Evelyne Brochu), but is emotionally displaced by his ineffable connection to his teenage sweetheart and ex-wife Carole (Helene Florent), the mother of his two children. Antoine questions during the film how one can have two soul mates in a lifetime. "If it's a soul mate," he asks, "it's not supposed to end, right?" Carole, in turn, is haunted by the disappearance of a love she thought was "written in the stars". The other story, set in an unspectacular Paris of browns and greys in 1969, follows Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis) and her obsessive devotion to her son, Laurent (Marin Gerrier), who has Down syndrome, along with his fervent attachment to a little girl also with Down Syndrome called Veronique (Alice Dubois). How the two stories converge will be divisive for audiences — some will be in awe of the magnitude of it all while some will walk out and roll their eyes. I was unfortunately in the latter camp. The final revelation let Cafe de Flore down in my opinion, but it didn't take away from the beauty of it as a whole. The film has a hypnotic quality that truly entrances. The use of photos of times past; stunning, ethereal visuals; and the inclusion of scenes showing Antoine and Carole as teenagers bound by love and a shared passion for music infuse the film with a sense of nostalgia and history that renders it dreamlike and sad. It won't be to everyone's taste, but if you appreciate good music and a complex, interesting story, then this might have something for you. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y3HAgq7aQOk
Whether you've got a gang of six or a crew of 30-plus, Sydney's summer festivals have the capacity to bring everyone together. Get the group going and start planning a chilled afternoon in the park sipping champagne, or something a little more energetic like a boogie to Charli XCX or an inclusive Mardi Gras kick-off party. Summer is festival season and there's no better time to get outside and make the most of it. Unsure where to start? We've partnered with Sunglass Hut to bring you seven big festivals — from one-dayers to weekend adventures — that welcome your sprawling group of mates and plus-ones. Take a read for inspiration.
His sound is unique, different. He is hard to categorise as he is to resist. When his music first arrived on the scene, people thought that the heavily produced sound would not translate to live sets. They were wrong. His singles, including 'The Wilhelm Scream' ooze a sensory and complete power, with his traditional training in piano creating a classical sophistication to his music. On the back of his self-titled debut and a set at Splendour in the Grass, you'll be disappointed to miss what is definitely a star on the rise. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MVgEaDemxjc
