With the world swept up in a global pandemic, the concept of 'home' and that connection to one's roots feels as prevalent as ever right now. And it's these ideas that are at the forefront of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre's new exhibition Bittersweet. Put together by Western Sydney artist Shivanjani Lal and running until Sunday, September 27, this one features works from ten iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) and Indo Fijian artists, as they explore their own connections to home. The broad-ranging collection shares a diverse set of stories of people living far from their homeland, reflecting on the ways in which Pacific culture has filtered into new lives in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. You'll catch a glimpse into how the artists' Fijian roots have coloured their practice, how they've held onto traditional values, and how they've fostered a connection to the food and rituals of their ancestors. [caption id="attachment_783215" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shivanjani Lal in her studio.[/caption] Artist Dulcie Stewart pays homage to the distinctive visual stylings of Fiji's market stalls and shops with a work crafted from contemporary Fijian street signage, Quishile Charan has rallied women in her family to help source natural materials for a series celebrating traditional Pacific craft techniques, and a three-part video work by Mohini Chandra reflects on what it's like to return to your homeland after everyone else has left. Meanwhile, Fijian Indian artist Lal showcases her own work, featuring instant prints made on recycled brown paper sourced from Bombay, capturing moments from her own homeland visits. Images: Bittersweet exhibition at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and 'Chhaapaa' (2020) by Shivanjani Lal.
If 2020 has been good for anything, it's upskilling. No doubt you started making sourdough from scratch, did some DIY projects around the house or took up an online course. You probably attempted to mix up a negroni, amaretto sour or perfectly balanced martini at some point, too. But, if your concoctions didn't quite match the expertise of the bartender at your favourite watering hole, now's your chance to level up. This winter, three top Aussie bartenders are bringing the festivities to your living room with a series of online cocktail classes. Kicking off the series is Eau de Vie Melbourne's Jonny Linstead on Thursday, August 20, from 6–6.30pm. He'll be showing you how to make a vodka-based martini dubbed the D'Vine Time. At the same time on Thursday, September 3, Brisbane bartender Millie Tang, behind old-world cocktail bar The Gresham, will be mixing up a twist on the classic Moscow Mule: the Polish Pony. Then, rounding out the three-part series will be award-winning bartender Kate McGraw from Sydney's izakaya-style bar Isabel on Thursday, September 17. Fittingly, she'll be whipping up a Kyoto Highball, which will have you dreaming of trips to Japan. [caption id="attachment_777922" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Polish Mule[/caption] A collaboration between premium vodka distiller Belvedere and drink delivery company Boozebud, the at-home cocktail classes will focus on top-quality natural ingredients. Each drink recipe will have a 'less is more' approach, so you'll be making cocktails that you'll actually be able to recreate — again and again and again. The masterclasses are free to stream via Facebook. For Jonny Linstead's class head here, Millie Tang's here or here for Kate McGraw's. But, to make the most of it, you'll want to get a cocktail pack delivered beforehand. The packs cost between $93.99–99.99. Purchase your cocktail packs via Boozebud, then head to the respective Facebook events at 6pm on August 20, September 3 and September 17 to take part in the virtual masterclasses. Images: Kate McGraw, cocktail, Jonny Linstead and Millie Tang
As dairy fiends already well and truly know, adding burrata to any meal automatically takes it up several notches. Add the delicious blend of mozzarella and cream to every dish as part of a five-course dinner and, well, you've got yourself quite the cheesy, indulgent and delicious feast going on. That's what's happening at Burrata Night. Nope, that name doesn't disappoint. Salt Meats Cheese's Sydney stores are whipping up a heap of burrata-topped options on Tuesday, October 20, then letting you eat your way through them. There'll actually be seven different dishes, including both spaghetti carbonara and gnocchi sorrentina with burrata, as well as mortadella and broccolini pesto pizzas, too. Or, you can opt for prosciutto with burrata, roasted pumpkin with burrata or burrata that's crumbed, then fried. The five-dish dinner will set you back $79, and you can choose which five of the above choices you'd prefer. You can also take the plate-by-plate approach and order single serves for $19 a pop. It all kicks off at 5pm, and booking in advance for this one-night-only affair is essential.
Every week from July to September, Chauvel Cinema will become home to all manner of retro flicks. You've just spent months streaming anything and everything at home, but now it's time to revisit a heap of bona fide classics on the big screen — all as part of the Palace Encore season. It all kicks off on Monday, July 6 with a choice that'll make you exclaim "great Scott!" — and wish that you could drive to the cinema in a Delorean. Yes, that'd be Back to the Future. Wearing a puffy vest is optional. Also on the bill: Studio Ghibli's enchanting Spirited Away, Martin Scorsese's 90s gangster classic Goodfellas and Stanley Kubrick's horror masterpiece The Shining. Or, you can don a bathrobe to watch The Big Lebowski. The list goes on, with everything from Fight Club to American Psycho also getting a whirl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZspM1JrOmA8 Sessions screen on Monday and Friday nights, with tickets costing $10 for Palace movie club members and $15 otherwise.
Set above the Sydney Fish Market, the Sydney Seafood School has been a staple for top-notch cooking classes for a whopping 30 years now. To celebrate its three decades in operation, Manager Roberta Muir has put together one helluva summer program. And it features cooking classes by some of the best chefs in the biz. Coming up on December 14, Belles Hot Chicken's Morgan McGlone will team up with P&V Wine and Liquor Merchant's Mike Bennie to host a Hot Southern Chicken & Cool Natural Wines event. Then, on January 18, Totti's Mike Eggert will make seasonal veggies the star of his show, while Mike McEnearney (Kitchen by Mike) will host a sourdough-making class on February 1. And February 18 will see Lucio's Lucio Galletto pair his Italian banquet with boutique regional wines by Godot Wines' Piero Tantini. [caption id="attachment_671693" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belles Hot Chicken[/caption] This all-star lineup of chefs also includes Mark LaBrooy (Three Blue Ducks), Palisa Anderson (Chat Thai), Paul Carmichael (Momofuku Seiōbo), Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freshwater) and Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio at The Spit) — to name just a few. Each class acts as a three-part experience, with a live demonstration in the tiered theatre followed by a hands-on cooking class in the kitchen, and finally a communal feast (paired with wine, of course) in the dining room. To check out the full program, head here. The classes are a bit pricey, ranging from $140–$175, but, with the calibre of chefs, you're getting a lot of bang-for-your-buck. And tickets to any one of these would certainly go down a treat as a Christmas gift. Top image: Franz Scheurer
In August, ARTBAR — the MCA's after-dark, adults-only art party — transported you to an underworld of pagan mystery. Now that the weather is warming up, your next destination is an underworld of another kind: a steamy tropical forest. Welcome to Canopy, a rainforest-inspired pop-up bar that doubles as a creative ecosystem. Created by powerhouse DJ and visual artist Hannah Brontë, this shindig is all about fierce women. Listen out for the fearless hip hop of Fiji-born, Brisbane musician Jesswar, who has played Australia's biggest festivals, including Laneway, Groovin' the Moo and Splendour in the Grass. Meanwhile, Sydney's Peruvian-born DJ Carolina Gasolina will bring her extremely danceable collection of 90s R&B and rap bangers — as well as a bunch of tracks you've probably never heard before. Also getting you on the floor will be Tongan-born, Sydney-based DJ Kilimi, whose set combines Afro, baile and jersey edits with R&B voguing favourites. And, when you least expect it, you'll meet Black Birds (aka Ayeesha Ash), who'll lead a performative workshop — while dressed in wearable art. Plus, you'll be able to check out the retrospective exhibition of British female artist Cornelia Parker, which is her first major survey exhibition in the southern hemisphere. While usually ticketed, the exhibition will be open after dark for ARTBAR attendees, so you can check out her powerful, haunting and often violent works for free. ARTBAR usually sells out, so be sure to grab your tickets sooner rather than later. Canopy will take over all levels of the MCA on Friday, November 29, from 7-11pm.
Enmore stalwart The Warren View Hotel has just been treated to a major face lift — and it's celebrating in an even bigger way. Head along to the relaunch on Friday, November 15 from 3–6pm and enjoy Grifter brews on the house. This is not a drill — the Wazza is pouring free craft beer to all of its adoring fans for three full hours. This massive beer shout will include all four of its Grifter brews on tap: the Serpents Kiss watermelon pilsner, the C-Boogie cucumber kolsch, the Pink Galah pink lemonade sour and the OG pale ale. If you miss out, there'll also be $7 schooners of the four pours going throughout November. On the Friday night, there'll also be tunes and the chance to try the latest pub menu by newly appointed Head Chef Ernie Priestley . While it has undergone a facelift, the pub is still independently owned — which it has been for a whopping 149 years. Sydney Design firm Warrane (Coogee Bay Hotel, The Tilbury) has looked after the new fit-out. It has the same "old pub" feel and the same heritage-listed exterior, but new modern touches inside. And, fret not, — the leafy dog-friendly beer garden is still in tact, as are the 100-percent independent beer taps and weekly drag trivia nights. Now all you have to do is plan how you'll sneak out of work early on Friday. Grifter Bar Shout runs from 3–6pm.
If you haven't sorted your New Year's Eve plans yet, the team over at Prince of York has you covered. The new multi-level restaurant, bar and underground nightclub in the CBD is bringing Sydneysiders a 90s- and early 00s-themed party to ring in the new year. On the decks spinning these throwback tunes will be DJs Chux and Parihaka, along with hospo legend Ed Loveday (Bar Brosé, The Passage and the recently closed Acme). You can book in for dinner up at the restaurant head straight on down to Pamela's — a den of champagne, tequila and disco — and party (like it's 1999) into the new year. The nightclub's pink suede banquettes are also available for booking by emailing hello@princeofyork.com.au. And don't forget you're encouraged to dance on the tables here, too. The party will run from 4pm–2am and entry is free. All you last-minute planners have really lucked out this year. Image: Mitchell Ferris
What role might art play in the future? And forget what it would look like — what might it sound like? It's an unusual question, and one that this upcoming exhibition at UTS Gallery seeks to engage with. Featuring artists Gail Priest, Pia van Gelder and Tom Smith, Peter Blamey, and George Poonkhin Khut, Sounding the Future presents "dreams of future soundings", with artists developing their own response to the show's posed question. Engaging with the sense of sound rather than sight for inspiration, their works combine artistic imagination with the considerations of degraded environmental conditions, new technologies, and the possibility of a future world devoid of human life. If that sounds a little bleak, fret not: the future of art doesn't necessarily mean an absence of it (or artists). Featured artist and show curator Priest explains that hope lies within the show, and within art itself, despite the at times grim environmental, economic and social future scenarios imagined by the exhibition. "The artworks show ways to negotiate these territories, often to transcend these conditions spiritually. Of course this could be seen as escapism, but for me art reminds us of the values of humanity that are worth keeping and fostering." Image: Gail Priest, Sounding the Future, installation view, 2015. Photo: Samuel James
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But 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, August 4, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying 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 seventh year running. This year over 500 cafes will aim to raise more than last year's total of $160,523. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 4 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. There are a heap of cafes participating across the city, but some include: The Grounds of Alexandria The Boathouse Bills Artificer Coffee Tea and Me Single O Three Blue Ducks Brewtown Newtown Daisy's Milkbar
Returning for its second year, Sad by Sad West is a community focused festival that's all about embracing emotion in both music and life. It's taking things back to basics and helping locals to recognise and appreciate their immediate surroundings and the artists that occupy it. Presented by Lesstalk Records and Papaiti Records, the self proclaimed fringe festival is geared toward connecting the community through events that showcase shared ideas and values through art and music. The artists will perform across different genres and mediums in an effort to portray artistic thought in a new light. The three-day Sydney event will take over venues in Marrickville and Parramatta from Thursday, May 4 through Saturday, May 6. First up they'll partner with Marrickville's Cornersmith for a D.I.Wine and Dine event, pairing a three-course meal with five Aussie artists, including Zzzounds and Micro Lectures. On Friday, May 5, the party is headed over to Beatdisc Records in Parramatta, where the stage will be shared by Aussie six acts, including Daniel Comensoli and Dave Drayton, along with New Zealand band Long Distance Runner. On Saturday, May 6 the festival will finish off at Marrickville's Red Rattler with a huge lineup of Aussie acts and an addition of two imports, New Zealand's Carb on Carb and Subsumer from the States.
You can never have too many food trucks and chicken wings, and King of the Wings is hoping that the poultry-loving people of Sydney agree. After slinging their spicy pieces around Brisbane since 2014 — and proving one of the first purveyors of meals-on-wheels in southeast Queensland, in fact — they're heading south to bring their tasty morsels to a whole new batch of hungry customers. Come May, King of the Wings will pop up at The Observer Hotel in The Rocks for what they've dubbed 'wing week', serving up tender, tasty chicken galore. Just running your eyes over their menu should be enough to motivate you to be there. It's about quality over quantity here, with the self-proclaimed wing kings specialising in five flavours: their signature Southern-style herb and spice rub, a sweet chilli-infused honey sesame sauce, traditional American barbecue, the extra hot 'Chillogy' and a Portuguese crumb. You'll be able to order them in six, 12, 20 or 30 packs. The Sydney pop-up comes hot on the heels of King of the Wings adding a second, split-level design truck to their fleet, as well as competing in last year's New York Wingfest — where they took out the best new vendor field, and came second in the best wing sauce category. Sydneysiders, if you want to find out why, you'll just have to head along.
The phrases 'rooftop pottery workshop' and 'car park bike polo vs. unicycle hockey match' get bandied about a lot these days. Oh wait, they never do — especially not in the same sentence. But on Saturday, April 1, Parramatta's multi-level Eat Street Car Park is throwing a rooftop bash incorporating both activities. No, it's not an April Fools' stunt. Fresh from his latest illustration project, All The Buildings in New York, Sydney artist James Gulliver Hancock will transform the rooftop with a live mural painting. It's set to be an evening of live music, experimental video screenings, weird hybrid sports and — better still — table tennis. With delicious Turkish flatbreads on offer alongside freshly baked doughnuts and — hold my clay pot, will you? — crème brûlée from Torch Me Crème Brûlée, life is guaranteed to be sweet on Eat Street (at least for one night). The event will celebrate the recent $135,000 upgrade to the Eat Street Car Park, which will see more maps, signage and a mural added to the structure. The project aims to make the car park feel more welcoming and safe and provide better access to Parramatta's main dining precinct.
With the memory of 2017's shambolic Oscars ceremony beginning to fade, so too are the major contenders starting to slip out of Australian cinemas. But with the latest home-grown effort Jasper Jones copping it from all sides and the new Wolverine stalking the multiplexes yet again, the dedicated cinephile may well be thinking it's going to be a while between drinks. Not this year. The Sydney Film Festival may not kick off for another couple of months, but this time round it's getting an epic run-up. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Sydney Film Prize, Golden Age Cinema and Bar in Surry Hills will be screening all of the previous winners in the lead-up to the June festival — one a week for nine weeks. The Sydney Film Prize is the Festival's official competition, awarding $63,000 to a "provocative, controversial or cutting edge film that moves the art form forward". In its ten years, the Prize has recognised numerous works and artists that have gone on to bag acclaim at film festivals all over the world. If you still don't get how big this is, Steve McQueen's Hunger will get the ball rolling on April 4, with Nicholas Winding Refn's Bronson and Only God Forgives to follow. Others in the pack include Asghar Farhadi's Oscar-winning A Separation, last year's winner Aquarius, the Dardenne brothers' Two Days, One Night, starring Marion Cotillard, and Yorgos Lanthimos' Alps about a group of people paid by the bereaved to impersonate their deceased relatives. Or, you know, down the road they're showing one about a giant gorilla fighting dinosaurs. Your call. TEN YEARS OF THE SYDNEY FILM PRIZE PROGRAM April 4 – Hunger (2008) April 11 – Bronson (2009) April 18 – Heartbeats (2010) April 26 – A Separation (2011) May 2 – Alps (2012) May 9 – Only God Forgives (2013) May 16 – Two Days, One Night (2014) May 23 – Arabian Nights Volume I (2015) May 23 – Arabian Nights Volume II (2015) May 24 – Arabian Nights Volume III (2015) May 30 – Aquarius (2015)
Guaranteed to set the staffroom afire with gossip and outrage, New Theatre wades into the prickly issue of teacher-student relationships with Evan Placey's Consensual. Seven years ago, Diane was 22, a teacher's assistant just getting to grips with the blend of riot control and guile needed to haul adolescents through a class curriculum. She made a mistake and got too close to a student who took advantage of her. Seven years ago, Freddie was 15, unhappy and a mess. A teenager, in other words. He was groomed by one of his teachers and bragged about it after the fact. Now, Diane is a qualified teacher and trying to get a new Sex Ed programme through the skulls of her Year 11 class. When Freddie turns up looking to press charges, both versions of events are played out, but Placey isn't interested in who's right. Rather, Consensual promises an unflinching account of what we tell ourselves about the horrible things we do to other people.
What if a trio of old guys robbed a bank? That'd be funny, wouldn't it? That seems to be the only line of thinking behind Going in Style, which remakes a 1979 flick of the same name and brings together a thoroughly likeable cast of elderly actors, but doesn't rise above "aren't geriatrics hilarious?"-style humour. Attempting to bulk up its premise with a hefty tug at the heartstrings and a weak statement about ruthless financial institutions proves about as effective as chewing steak with dentures. Sure, you can give it a shot, but everyone knows that it's not going to work. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin play old friends Joe, Willie and Albert, who toiled away for decades together at a Brooklyn steel works, only to find themselves stripped of their pensions after a corporate takeover by an overseas company. But after Joe witnesses a slick holdup at his uncaring bank — an establishment that tricked him into a loan with a nasty interest rate, is now threatening to take his house away, and happens to be handling the pension debacle — the three hatch a plan to reclaim their entitlements via a caper of their own. Given the talent the film puts on screen, Going in Style probably could've worked quite well without throwing in the sob stories. Alas, the script by Hidden Figures writer-director Theodore Melfi is determined to justify the characters' newfound criminal urges in the most blatantly sappy and cliched ways that it can. Accordingly, Joe has to save the home where his daughter and granddaughter also live, while Willie is in dire need of a new kidney. Former musician Albert takes longer to warm to the stickup idea, probably because he isn't blighted with his own sad tale; instead, he's more preoccupied with his new romance with a grocery store clerk (Ann-Margaret). The fact is, Caine, Freeman and Arkin are all much, much better than the material they're saddled with. If there's any fun to be had here, it's in watching the three Oscar winners sit in a diner bickering and bantering. Any time they're tasked with supposedly comic hijinks, you're left wishing they were all in a better film; a horribly executed sequence in which they attempt to shoplift from a local supermarket as a practice run for their big heist is a prime example. Still, they fare much better than their poor co-star Christopher Lloyd, whose hammy performance might make you exclaim "great Scott!" in horror. Although he's helmed two movies already, in Garden State and Wish I Was Here, Actor-turned-director Zach Braff is still best known for starring in the small screen hospital comedy Scrubs. Perhaps it's not a coincidence, then, that his latest effort feels more like a bland, formulaic sitcom pilot than it does a feature film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Qq3pIWMHk
Spend your Thursday night feasting on smoked meats and dancing to the deep disco beats of Cutloose at Sydney streetwear label ZANEROBE's Cut & Cook BBQ. Orangeville Meat Co. are providing the nosh and ZANEROBE has refreshments covered, supplying free drinks by Coors, Smirnoff, Salumi Australia and Black Bear. Sounds like one heck of an after-work plan. Set to take place at ZANEROBE's Rosebery showroom, the event will also be a chance to check out the brand's latest styles and pick up a piece or two. The whole thing kicks off at 5pm and finishes at around 9pm, so get in early to make the most of the festivities.
Variety might be the spice of life, but it's also the idea behind multiple-course dinners. If you're going to eat your way through several plates, you'll also want to eat your through several different types of food, or so the general line of thinking goes. It's a sensible concept, and one that's been serving the restaurant industry well for years — but The Pasta Masters Collaborative Dinner is about to blow it out of the water. Here, five rounds of dishes means one thing five times: pasta, pasta, pasta, pasta and pasta. Indeed, all things pasta are on the menu at this series of two dinners, which brings a top chef quartet — aka Sotto Sopra's Alessandro Pavoni and Mattia Rossi, and Flour Eggs Water's Sandro Di Marino and Eugenio Maiale — together for a night of food and pasta-related discussion. The evenings won't just celebrate the meal in question, but will focus on the flavoursome fare from the culinary wizs' respective regions in Italy. Dinners will be held at Sotto Sopra on July 19 and Flour Eggs Water on August 23, with tickets costing $75 per person — or $125 with matched wines.
Calling all creative ladies, this 'un-conference' is for you. After a strong debut as part of Vivid Ideas 2016, this two-day event "for, by and about creative women" features a super successful lineup of pioneering international and homegrown talent. With a crew of female-identifying attendees, Make Nice is a two-day creative event that isn't your regular conference format. Each presenter will offer practical advice for working in the creative industries, unpack the value of idea exchange and dialogue, and focus on the importance of genuine professional support. But they'll also be sitting next to you for the conference, learning from your ideas and having mad chats. It will kick off with a non-awkward pre-drink event on Friday, September 22 before the main event, a full-day conference that kicks off at 8.15am on Saturday. This year's speakers include Nashville designer Becky Simpson, sought-after tatooist and artist Stanislava Pinchuk (aka Miso) and journalist and co-host of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast Ann Friedman, amongst others. They'll be speaking on topics that cover imposter syndrome, starting a business, getting into a routine while staying sane and how to avoid completely burning out. Each attendee will be invited to a private online forum (along with the speakers) that will be active year round, connecting you to each other after the event and inviting you to future Make Nice events. The full schedule will be released soon.
Whether you're a whiskey-enthusiast, aspiring table-stylist or wannabe pickler, the Tramsheds has you sorted this winter. Every Monday through Wednesday from July 3 to September 23, Winter Nights gives you the chance to mix up your midweek winter routine — and your own cocktail while you're at it. Pop-up workshops include watercolour and wine, tea blending and detox juicing, along with a native cocktail mixology class that uses all local ingredients. Or satisfy your chocolate-craving at the Chocolatier Know-How workshop where you'll temper your own chocolate (and learn what that actually means). The classes are budget-friendly, too — starting at only $16 — so you can learn some new skills on the cheap. Check out the full list of events here.
Get ready to cosy up this winter at the Sydney Tea Festival. If you have a yearning for an Earl Grey or a passion for Russian Caravan, this event is sure to warm your cockles. When the festival opens at Carriageworks on Sunday, August 20, you'll find all manner of tea-related talks, workshops and tastings to extend your appreciation of the finest brew. One workshop, held by Jesse Munro Gurugir from local health and wellness company Lore Australia, will explore native Australian teas and bush foods, and tell you how you can forage for ingredients for your next tea party. In another, MasterChef Australia guest star Bernard Chu from LuxBite teaches you how to bake with tea. Take the kombucha workshop to second ferment and flavour your own variety of fermented tea with Jaimee Edwards of Cornersmith cafés (who knows a thing or two about fermenting). Talks will also cover tea basics and origins, and there will be over 60 stallholders to show their wares and teach you about food pairings or tea ceremonies, from Urban Beehive and LongLeaf Tea Vodka to Chocolate Tea and The Tea Nomad. Tickets are $15.50, and you should book ahead for tickets to the workshops and talks. Get ready to curl those frosty hands around a warm cuppa and escape Sydney's winter chill.
Brooklyn Boy Bagels is again bringing a taste of New York City to the Sydney CBD, popping up for the month of July along Darlinghurst's Victoria Street. The shop will be open daily from 6:30am to 3pm so you can grab a traditionally boiled and baked bagel with creamy schmear any day of the week. What started as pop-up stands at farmers markets has turned into a citywide favourite with a storefront in Marrickville, along with other pop-up shops throughout the city. Now Darlinghurst is no exception, at least for the rest of the month. They're serving up traditional NYC varieties, like sesame, poppy and cinnamon raisin, along with babkas (twisted sweet bread) like Nutella and hazelnut or salted caramel and sesame. And, since no bagel run is complete without a good cuppa, the shop will also offer up Mecca coffees — meaning you can eat like a New Yorker without the shit coffee bit.
Love a good Italian street festival? Yeah y'do. Italian nosh, wine and live music? What's not to like? Head for Five Dock this Sunday, August 20 for Ferragosto, showcasing the best of Italian culture on Great North Road from 10am to 4pm. Celebrating a cheeky 20 years of festivities, Ferragosto is a staple of Canada Bay's Italian calendar. There'll be over 300 food, wine and merchandise stalls, live kitchen demos from local chefs, rides for 'kids' (yeah, probably still just for actual kids), alongside dance and music performances across five stages. Don't worry if you can't make this one, for the Italian Food and Wine Festival takes place over by Town Hall the week following.
Whether sweet, dry or draught tickles your tastebuds, there's nothing quite like a glass of ice-cold cider on a nice spring day. Come September 2, that's exactly The Tudor is serving up, with the Redfern pub throwing their first-ever cider festival. Aiming to showcase cidery goodness of both the local and international kind, there's no prizes for guessing what's on offer — think apple and pear tipples from the likes of Young Henrys, Batlow Cider Co, Black Brewing Co, The Hills Cider Company, Willie Smiths and even Spain's Sidra Del Verano. Tasting as many as possible is what the afternoon shindig is all about, with five available for $15 and ten for $25. If all that sipping works up an appetite, pairing your beverages with pork — spit-roasted on rolls, or of the sausage hot dog variety — is also on the menu. And, it wouldn't be a cider fest without a stint of bobbing for apples, now would it? As well as showing off their apple-grabbing prowess, participants can win more cider, naturally.
After their highly buzzed-about debut at this year's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, Vale Denim are hosting an exclusive pop-up sale in Sydney alongside fellow Australian brand Hansen & Gretel. With their fresh seasonal twists on accessible and comfortable cult wardrobe classics, Vale Denim has been steadily gathering momentum since its creation back in the summer of 2015 by Sydneysider Amber D'Enett. From July 13 to 19 at 14 William Street, the Paddington pop-up sale will feature pieces from the brand's AW17 collection, alongside exclusive one-off samples and archived pieces. Starting from $20, all items available for purchase will be discounted by up to 80 per cent, making it the perfect opportunity for fashionable denim enthusiasts to get behind a local fashion label without digging too deep into their wallets. The Vale Denim and Hansen & Gretel pop-up sale will be open Thursday from 10am to 9pm and Friday to Monday from 10am to 6pm. Image: Vale Denim
The Commune Waterloo will be transformed into a sensory explosion when Eid in the City returns for its second year on Friday, August 4 from 5pm to 10pm. A celebration of Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, the Middle Eastern Night Markets will bring together a massive variety of street food, art, craft, design, music, photography and film. Ramadan, for those not in the know, is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. It's the holy month, during which participants fast, pray and give to charity. The aim is to promote empathy, generosity and an attitude of gratitude, and Eid is the festivity and feast that follows. While Ramadan and Eid were celebrated back at the end of June this year, the Commune is keeping the party going with their massive event. You won't be short of company, either — the Facebook event has racked up nearly 5000 RSVPs and counting. Tickets are only 10 bucks but are strictly pre-sale only, so make sure to head over here to nab one.
Bundanon Trust's annual SITEWORKS is back, with this year's theme, The Birds & The Bees, bringing together a motley crew of environmentalists, scientists and contemporary artists for an unusual weekend. Held over a full day and night on Saturday, September 23 at Bundanon Homestead (former home and studio of iconic Australian artist Arthur Boyd), you can spend the daylight hours exploring the quirky festivities on offer and then camp overnight on the historic property. So what exactly will you be doing? First, the art: select invited artists have created site-specific works exploring this year's theme, turning the Homestead into a giant hive filled with sonic interpretations, installations and live performance. If you find yourself similarly inspired, there'll be life drawing sessions, a candle-making workshop and the opportunity to sculpt birds from natural and foraged materials. If science is more your thing, head to the Talking Tent hosted by ABC's science broadcaster Robyn Williams, where you'll hear talks from bird experts, neuroscientists, wildlife ecologists and evolutionary scientists. There'll also be live music, erotic storytelling and honey mead to sip on. It's potentially eccentric but guaranteed to be one of the most original weekends this year. Check out the full program here.
The Giant Dwarf loves to bang on — so much so, they're dedicating two whole weeks to celebrating the art of it. A brand new festival for the Redfern theatre, YACK will bring together a selection of Sydney's funniest, smartest and most provocative comedians, podcasters and panellists. The little festival will feature big laughs with a great lineup of people who like to have a good ol' chinwag. We're pretty excited to see the Kates (of The Katering Show) live In Konversation and Sam Simmons read a phone book in his hilarious and celebrated show A-K. Peter Helliar, co-host of The Project, will be debuting his first family-friendly show following the release of his bestselling children's novel and Hannah and Eliza Reilly (who you might know from the ABC's Growing Up Gracefully) will remind us of our public speaking insecurities with The Yarramadoon PS Debaters Night. Add to the mix a performance by The Chaser — who will be reminiscing on their most audacious stunt ever (can you guess which one?) — and the first ever live performance of Zan Rowe and Myf Warhurst's podcast Bang On, and you'll most probably be on the ground in stitches. Some of Australia's most witty writers, including Benjamin Law, Cameron James and Caitlin Welsh, will be collaborating with Songs and Stories to pay their respects to the music that has shaped them and Rebecca Huntley and Sarah MacDonald will host The Full Catastrophe, an afternoon-slash-therapy session with people well known for turning horrible moments into hilarious stories. Judging by the state of world affairs, two weeks of non-stop laughing at YACK will be just what the doctor ordered, so head over to the Giant Dwarf website for tickets here. The festival will run from November 6–19.
Looking for new threads? Sure, you can head to plenty of markets around town and trawl through food, homeware and other objects, or you can mosey along to Sydney's dedicated ladies fashion get-together. Round She Goes does one thing, and it does it well. If it's clothing, accessories and jewellery you're after, you'll find it here. Filled with preloved designer and vintage fare, the one-day happening will take over Marrickville Town Hall from 10am on July 29 and September 16. These editions will boast 60 stalls, all specially curated by organisers to deliver reasonably priced, high-quality bits and pieces, and ranging from beloved brands to handmade items to fashion clear-outs. Entry costs $2, and when you're finding that shiny gold coin to get you in the door, make sure you did up some other cash as well. Cold, hard currency is preferred here, and parting with it will be worth it. Your wardrobe will thank you for it.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia is rolling out a new winter art workshop program. Inspired by the gallery's popular Sundown Sketch Club, these two-hour Wednesday evening sketching workshops will led by Sydney-based artist Will French, and take place once a month in June, July and August. The classes will focus on still life and nude drawing, with participants using a range of fine art materials and getting a few tips from French along the way. The ever-changing installation will include a model alongside the rather specific ingredients of fresh grapes, white flowers, juicy pears, brioche, hazelnuts and almonds. The evening will be capped off with nibbles, cheese, a glass of Champagne from sponsor Ruinart and a backdrop of Sydney Harbour. The first workshop will take place on June 14, with sessions following on July 19 and August 23. Tickets are $65 and beginners are welcome. Just make sure to book ahead as these events have sold out in the past.
A diverse group exhibition that will please gallery-goers possessing a short attention span and a taste for socially driven art is up next at Campbelltown Arts Centre with Looking At Me Through You. 12 artists from a range of disciplines including painting, sculpture, portraiture and video were invited to create a responsive, socially engaged artwork that interacts with the community of Campbelltown — its people, issues, uniqueness and relationship to the broader Western Sydney landscape. Artists including Keren Ruki, Damien Shen, James Nguyen, Abdul Abdullah, Sonia Leber and David Chestworth chose to work directly with the community for inspiration, while others have taken a more analytical approach, drawing from statistical research provided by show sponsor Deloitte as the foundation for their artworks. Expect themes including urban development (and underdevelopment), the diversity of culture and community, the shifting political debate, the collective representation of voice and the uniqueness of Campbelltown as a place. A must see for those who like topical art with local relevance. Image: Courtesy of artists Sonia Leber and David Chesworth (2017).
In 1947, one country became two and the world was forever altered. Following centuries of governance by the British, India was divided into distinct, independent territories along religious lines. One would still be known as India. The other would become Pakistan (and later, Bangladesh as well). Unsurprisingly, it was a massive task requiring significant contemplation and causing considerable repercussions, both for the officials charged with overseeing the partition, and for the locals who would be forced to live with the change. Such a chapter of history seems an obvious candidate for a dramatic film treatment — and that's just what Bend It Like Beckham's Gurinder Chadha delivers, stepping through the upheaval and exploring just how the two groups coped in such a turbulent period. But while she focuses firmly on the emotional toll of the partition, it's hard not to think that the director has actually missed the best story. Viceroy's House concludes on a rather touching personal note, explaining that Chadha's own grandmother lived through the events depicted on screen. Frankly, you could be forgiven for wishing she'd told that tale instead. Instead it's the last British head of India and his staff that drive the narrative of Viceroy's House. Accompanied by his wife Edwina (Gillian Anderson) and daughter Pamela (Lily Travers), Lord Louis Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville) tries to negotiate an arrangement for the future of the sub-continent that keeps the various conflicting parties and his English superiors happy. Meanwhile, within Mountbatten's luxurious Delhi mansion, servant Jeet (Manish Dayal) yearns for his childhood sweetheart Aalia (Huma Qureshi), a situation complicated by the fact that he's a Hindu and she's a Muslim. Accordingly, a quest to determine the shape of two nations and a Romeo and Juliet-style affair combine, albeit somewhat awkwardly at times. Jumping between bureaucratic manoeuvring and matters of the heart isn't always packaged with the smoothest transitions, and doesn't give either side of the story much depth. Nevertheless, Chadha's main aim, of examining the ramifications for the country as well as its people, is successfully achieved. The film wrings most of its feeling from its many contrasts, be they ideological, political, religious or romantic. Standard as it all might be, Viceroy's House still proves a handsome effort. Think lush visuals and a rich score, plus fine performances. Downtown Abbey's Bonneville stays nicely in familiar territory, while Anderson couldn't be more enjoyable to watch. She mightn't be the movie's main star, but she's given the job of embodying its chief message of rising above prejudice and finding the right path in times of turmoil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ZnofZJCD8
Hendrick's Gin and Siren Theatre Co are teaming up in June, inviting guests into a fully immersive, theatrical cocktail experience at COMMUNE in Waterloo. On your journey through the space you'll encounter delightfully creative, unusual scenarios that are designed to reawaken your natural curiosity. The experience will last just over an hour, and promises to evoke eccentric imagination in intimate, daring and sometimes dark spaces. You'll be treated to three Hendrick's Gin cocktails along the way — one classic, one seasonal and one experimental — each uncovered at a different point within the hour. When your journey comes to an end, you'll have access to the Hendrick's Gin bar. It will be a weekend of surprises, interactive fun and delicious cocktails. The Awakening is open from 5pm to 10pm on Friday, June 2, and from 12.40pm to 10pm on Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4. Get your tickets here.
If you're the sort of person who likes to eat meat until you start shaking with the meat sweats and can (m)eat no more, then a festival very relevant to your interests is coming to town. Meatstock Festival, a two-day celebration of all things animal, is setting up its smoky self in the Sydney Showgrounds on the weekend of May 6 and 7. Not just your regular food festival, bands on the Meatstock lineup include The Delta Riggs, Dusty Boots, Roy Rose, The Tommyhawks and The Fumes. Sure, there'll be less music than there is at Woodstock, but there will be 200 percent more tasty meat-related foods. The food stars of the show are Burgers by Josh, Chrissy's Cuts, Rangers Texas BBQ and more. Try both, or all of the food stalls and then fall into a sweaty, cholesterol-heavy heap — don't say we didn't warn you. Finally, for a little old-fashioned rivalry, the festival will be running both Barber Wars and Butcher Wars, which will basically be a bunch of hopefully unbloodied people running around competing and wielding various knives. What a weekend.
It'd be easy to be cynical about The Zookeeper's Wife. If it wasn't based on a true story, setting a World War II tale in a zoo could seem like an obvious attempt to wring cheap sentiment out of a tragic situation — we've already seen humans ravaged by combat, so we'll throw animals into the mix instead. Thankfully, that's not actually the case here. The drama might feature cute creatures big and small, but it's firmly concerned with the human impact in times of conflict. To be specific, The Zookeeper's Wife explores how people cope when their lives and livelihoods are threatened, and how they band together to help others subjected to unspeakable horrors. When war hits and Hitler's head zoologist Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl) arrives, it doesn't take long for Warsaw zookeeper Dr. Jan Żabiński (Johan Heldenbergh) and his wife Antonina (Jessica Chastain) to switch their focus. If they can't run their usual operation — their best animals are shipped to Germany, while others meet a bleaker end — then they'll do everything they can to help rescue the Jewish people that have been rounded up in ghettos and treated worse than cattle by the Nazi regime. Schindler's List might've just popped into your mind, as well as a plethora of other movies based upon tales of courage and sacrifice during the Holocaust. That's perfectly understandable. Familiarity isn't always a bad thing — there's a reason that filmmakers are drawn to similar stories, particularly when they demonstrate people displaying their best possible traits at a time when civilisation as a whole is doing the opposite. There's much about The Zookeeper's Wife that follows the expected path. Whale Rider director Niki Caro brings the non-fiction book of the same name to the screen with handsome images and a solemn tone. There are grim scenes of cruelty and carnage, although the darkest deeds are alluded to rather than shown. The movie charts acts of hidden resistance that saved lives, and paints its otherwise ordinary protagonists as extraordinary heroes. Not unlike the recent Their Finest, it also provides an unmistakably female-aligned view of war, from the nurturing urge that sees Antonina shelter as many escapees as she can, to the clear threat of sexual violence that lingers every time Brühl's villainous character makes his intentions known. Of course, that's where the reliably excellent Chastain comes in. After proving so ruthless and defiant in Miss Sloane, she's softer and kinder here, yet no less compelling. Indeed, there mightn't be much nuance in the film's melodramatic storytelling, but Chastain herself brings plenty. That applies whether she's saving a baby elephant, helping her secret house-guests, conveying a world of dismay in a glance, or rallying against oppression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ibf46kh2Ec
Wine-lovers of Canberra, rejoice! Don't schlep all the way through winter to sample the best wine that NSW has to offer. For one night, the wine is coming to you. Howard and Christobelle Anderson, the namesakes of Anderson Winery, are coming to Canberra to host an indulgent four-course meal with seven paired Anderson wines. You'll be dining alongside the winemakers themselves in an intimate dinner event. They've chosen the Boathouse by the Lake as a venue and we can see why – the cosy atmosphere and gorgeous lakeside view pairs well with good food, great wine and even better company.
Heaps Decent are celebrating ten years of being just that, with a rare Sydney charity art auction that will have punters shivering in excitement rather than fear. Thirty-four of Australia's established and emerging artists — from typographers to street artists and mural makers — are offering up limited edition works to be sold under the happiest hammer in town at I He(art) Heaps Decent. So pick up a paddle and head down to Surry Hills' Special Group Studios on September 27 to bid on visual treasures by the likes of Amok Island, Daniel Boyd, Gemma O'Brien, and more. Entry is free, but you'll have to RSVP via hey@heapsdecent.com.au. Founded in 2007 by muso legends Diplo, Nina Las Vegas and DJ Levins, the Heaps Decent culture warriors have traversed the country providing art and music workshops to youth in disadvantaged and marginalised communities. All funds raised from the auction will go towards delivering the organisation's upcoming projects. Let's put it this way: it's work worth throwing your pennies at. And if you end up going home with a unique piece of Aussie art, there's not much you can't he(art) about that.
If you've been lusting after this Twisties burger and you live in Sydney's northwest, do we have some news for you. Burger Head, the Penrith-based burger joint responsible for the monstrous creation and some all-round top burgs, has popped up in Beaumont Hills. The temporary eatery is open seven days (for dinner every day and lunch Thursday to Sunday) and will be hanging about for about three months. So you can consider your burger needs for spring more or less taken care of. The same trio who run the Penrith eatery — that's Tim Rosenstrauss (previously of the now-closed Master), Richard Borg (ex-Momofuku) and Joshua DeLuca (ex-Quay) — are overseeing the Beaumont Hills incarnation. They've has a busy 2017, after opening in January, they've also made appearances at Burgapalooza and the Sydney Royal Easter Show. On the menu you'll find all the tasty morsels that've had Penrith salivating, from the cheeseburger (Angus beef patty, onion, pickles, cheese, Burgerhead sauce, mustard mayo) to the Clucker (buttermilk fried chicken thigh, pickled onion, mayo) and — needless to say — the Twisties burger. The pop-up is open 6–9pm Monday to Wednesday and 1130am–2.30pm and 6–9pm Thursday to Sunday.
Local fashion, handmade wares and community vibes aplenty. It's a formula that sounds familiar, though for Enmore's new quarterly pop-up New Form, it's served up a little differently. Billed as "not just another arts and crafts market," New Form aims to be an inclusive hangout space for Sydney's style-savvy culture lovers, delivering a tightly curated mix of design, fashion, music, art and food, all with a local focus. Uniquely, each edition will be helmed by a different creative mind, who'll lend their own expertise and style to the concept. They'll choose the live tunes and art installations, select an exciting lineup of designers to show off their wares and handpick all the other vendors. New Form has also teamed up with folks at The Design Residency, who'll showcase two of their exciting mentee designers at each edition. For its debut outing on Sunday, October 8, the pop-up is heading to a space on Gladstone Road, pulling together labels like Zuku Jewellery, Tuesday Vintage, Carly Rose, Serpent and the Swan, and Studio Coy, along with plenty of other fresh local talent. Food offerings will include Turkish gozleme and Miss Mabel's.
The Makers and Shakers Market will visit Sydney this October, bringing with it the whole kit and caboodle of bespoke ceramics, homewares and jewellery (as well as tasty food to rejuvenate you when you get the oh-no-I-just-spent-all-my-money sweats). Kick things off at 10am with a coffee, spend a few hours browsing, and then chow down on a toastie or a gourmet ice-cream. The market gives space to local makers to sell their handmade wares, with everything from natural perfumes to handmade ceramics to be found. Stallholders this time round include jewellery by And O Design, teas by Tea Angle and doughuts by Donut Papi. For the full lineup, go here. Images: Alana Dimou.
No one needs an extra reason to visit a food truck festival, but this Sydney's offering is serving one up anyway. Head to What the Truck! between December 1 and 3, and you won't just be munching your way through a meals-on-wheels feast. You'll also be helping raise money Livin, an Australian-based charity dedicated to raising awareness for mental health. Tasty bites on offer in the city's west include Dairy Extraordinary's raclette-loving lineup, Muchos Nachos' Mexican bites, Volkwurst's German sausages and Lemon Rose's American meets Middle East eats, as well as Torch Me Crème Brûlée's titular dish, Vege Love's Asian-inspired vegetable concoctions and Gelato Brioche whipping up just what you'd expect. They'll be joined by live music and entertainment from local talents, aka something to watch between meals. The event is being spearheaded by The Daisy Project, who are aiming to put on a high-energy fest that matches their enthusiasm for the cause they're supporting. It all takes place from 5:30pm to 10pm on Friday, 10am to 10pm Saturday and 10am to 9pm Sunday at the Blacktown Showground, with entry costing a gold coin donation.
You love rosé, we love rosé, everyone loves rosé — but like every type of tipple, there's just so many to choose from. Not sure which pink drink takes your fancy? Adored some but haven't been fussed about others? Wish you could try a whole heap and pick your favourite? Or, perhaps you're fond of them all, and you're just eager to indulge. Whichever category you fall into, Rosé Days is for you. Sorry, it's just one day; however it does feature nine whole hours dedicated to the vino in question. Around 20 Australian and international winemakers, distilleries and even breweries will come together to celebrate the best in not-quite-red-coloured wines, offering up tastings aplenty. There'll also be rosé gummy bears, raspberry beer, wild rose vermouth and rosé cider. In addition, attendees can enjoy rosé-themed food from the likes of Three Blue Ducks, Kingsmore and Frenchies; entertainment to get your cheeks nice and rosy, such as indoor pétanque; cooking masterclasses and a dedicated rosé chill-out space. It all takes place from 10am on November 4 in the most appropriate suburb for it: Rosebery. Head to The Cannery for some pink-hued fun, with tickets $22.50 in advance or $25 on the day.
Last year, Newtown Festival brought thousands to the streets in celebration of the inner west's weird and wonderful culture. The festival returns to Camperdown Memorial Rest Park for its 39th year on Sunday, November 12 with the theme Home is Where the Heart is. This year, the expected entry donation will be $5, which will go directly to social change leaders, Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. You're free to donate more, of course — if you hand over a tenner, you'll get a free Newtown Festival water bottle. There'll be food stalls, markets, art — many, many dogs — and performers, including 16 local music acts picked by Aussie music legend and Newtown local Sarah Blasko, as well as La Toosh Tram & Stage's 'old-world' circus performers. Belt tunes to your heart's content with Heaps Gay's Closet Karaoke, and watch the best doggos win awards in the doggie dash and celebrity look-alike contest. A collective of Newtown's incredible food offerings under the name Newtown Locals will nourish you with an Australian barbecue for the day, including Bloodwood, Hartsyard, Fleetwood Macchiato. N2 Gelato, Young Henrys, Stinking Bishops and Mary's among numerous others. The Writer's Tent in partnership with Better Read Than Dead returns, hosting talks and seminars from a broad selection of Australian writers, including the team from The Betoota Advocate, Felicity Castagna and Jaclyn Moriarty. You'll also be able to take part in a Cornersmith pickling workshop.
Just try not to gaze longingly into the shimmering azure sea seen in Roza of Smyrna. Sorry, it's impossible. The film has been called a Greco-Turkish Romeo and Juliet, and its blend of scenic sights and romantic drama is a great fit for the Greek Film Festival's 2017 opening night. While you're watching, you'll fall in love with the story and the picturesque region. With the fest taking over Palace Norton Street from October 10 to 22, that's just one of the titles on offer in a rather sizeable program. Other highlights include The Killing of a Sacred Deer, the Colin Farrell-starring latest from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos (and one of our MIFF standouts); The Bachelor, which has been dubbed the Hellenic version of The Hangover; and Dogs of Democracy, which aims to be an Athens-set, canine-centric version of cat doco Kedi. From Greece's candidate for next year's Oscars to a musical road film about Southern Europe's migrant situation, the flicks just keep coming, including a short film fest within the main fest. It's the festival's 24th year, and they're making the most of it. We'd smash some plates in celebration of that.
Since launching in October 2016, social campaign Proudly Pokies Free has been drawing attention to the effects of poker machines while simultaneously celebrating the venues that have ditched them. The next shindig on the calendar is BLOW-UP, an epic afternoon and evening of free live music, happening at The Lansdowne Hotel on Sunday, September 10. The event will take over both levels of the pub from 2am till midnight and is an official stop on the King Street Crawl. Leading the program are Ribongia and Clypso, both Sydney-based electronic acts with a penchant for tropical grooves, as well as Ziggy Ramo, a hip-hop artist and activist from Perth. You'll also be hearing from Bad Deep DJs, Ariane, Mike Who, Flex Mami, Nes and Anno (Love Bombs). And you won't have to worry about hearing any annoying beeps or whirs or jangly music in the background.
For one night only, Raising the Bar brings the classroom to the bar to encourage people to unlearn the old and to explore ideas consolidated by new research. In 10 bars across Sydney, 20 academics from the University of Sydney will delve into topics as diverse as body clocks, gambling, refugees, Taylor Swift and the Mediterranean diet. The hugely-popular pub talks are held yearly in New York, Hong Kong, London and, for the third year running, Sydney. Raising the Bar was initiated by scholars from Columbia and New York Universities with the underlying aim of introducing newly discovered research to the public, in a non-academic environment. Topics this year include a discussion on the usefulness of FitBits, a plunge into the link between Internet memes and US politics, and an exploration of the possibilities of using robots to help us deal with social and environmental change. Check the website to book your free ticket and further info on all talks. But get in soon — these talks will fill up super fast.
Abstract sculpture fans will want to wander through Remnants, Luke Storrier's latest exhibition of new sculptures opening at OLSEN SYDNEY this month. An artist that draws inspiration from the outback and 'the shapes that nature provides', Storrier often partners natural materials like feathers, rocks, dirt and bones with concrete, wire and steel, allowing them to inform the work and inject flow and 'majesty' into otherwise lifeless materials. Professing to find the process of the medium deeply cathartic, this new show continues Storrier's exploration of solitude and isolation (echoing the remoteness of the outback he finds so creatively sustaining), alongside themes of brokenness and repair. "The abstract process of wrapping, binding and wrangling a collection of detritus reveals the beauty inherent in the act of repair and gives way to an unexpected visual language." Storrier's work is starkly beautiful, with an ability to somehow convey both energetic, light movement and weighted stillness. Haven't seen his stuff before? Australian painter Mclean Edwards summarises his style as such: "If Anselm Kiefer and Cy Twombly had a naughty child it would be Luke Storrier." Maybe go along yourself and see how accurate that feels. Image: Luke Storrier, Remnant 9 (2017), concrete, wire, calico, gesso.
On September 7, the Sydney Contemporary makes its return for 2017, and across the course of the opening evening, you'll be immersed in pure artistic talent. Performance Contemporary, curated by Emma Price, will warm Sydney Contemporary into Carriageworks, featuring artists Rebecca Conroy, Hayden Fowler, The Huxleys, Caroline Garcia, Garth Knight, Claudia Nicholson and Justene Williams. You'll experience intricate design, savage performance, comedy and virtual reality in this hugely varied selection of performances. Music talent curated by Vice sees three Sydney artists, Ginger and the Ghost, Marcus Whale and Mossy, performing across the night. and you can rest assured, that the kick-off celebration will continue into the night. The party doesn't have to end after leaving Carriageworks. Wander across to any (or all) of the after parties in Redfern for even more arty good times at 107 Projects, Arcadia Liquors, The Dock and The Bearded Tit, all sponsored by us, so you know you'll have a good time capping off a truly sublime night. Also, we've secured a 20% discount on opening night for our readers, so make sure you enter 'CONCRETE' when you get your tickets. And, if you're still up for a party after opening night, you'll want to check out Sydney Contemporary's Night Cap series hosted at The Old Clare on Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays, with each event bringing a different curated night of arty debauchery.
Fans of Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning war drama The Hurt Locker will recall that one of the film's most tense and thrilling sequences involved a lone enemy sniper laying waste to a group of US troops and UK mercenaries deep in the Iraqi desert. Pinned down in the blazing heat with little more than rubble for cover, the fear, confusion and discomfort of the men coming under fire was made all the more nail-biting courtesy of a near-silent soundtrack interrupted only by the 'hiss' and 'thwack' of bullets either missing or finding their mark. If that sequence felt somehow rushed or underplayed to you, however, then Doug Liman's latest film The Wall is every bit the fix you're looking for, since it's a movie that stretches that scenario to feature length. The setup is fantastic: six bodies – contractors, engineers and security personnel – all lie dead and scattered around an oil pipeline construction site, whilst way up in the hills a two-man American sniper team (John Cena and Aaron Taylor-Johnson) scans for any sign of the enemy. After 20-something hours of incident-free observation, they declare the site clear and march on down to make the final call in person, whereupon the enemy sniper reveals he's very much still in the picture and cripples both men with a series of sudden and devastating body-shots. As one of the soldiers lies exposed and bleeding, the other scrambles to find cover behind the tiniest, flimsiest shale wall. It's here that the remainder of the movie takes place. Without giving too much away, this is very much Taylor-Johnson's film, for it's he who occupies the vast majority of screen time, turning in an impressively physical and committed performance. You can't help but grit your teeth and squint in sympathy as he endures excruciating pain and the non-stop swirling of dust. Indeed, the immersive nature of the desert setting is one of the film's greatest strengths, evoking such a dry, overbearing heat that you feel compelled to rehydrate throughout. Where The Wall goes awry is when the enemy sniper begins taunting Taylor-Johnson's character over his radio, at which point some hackneyed horror-style lines ("We're not so different, you and I") begin to rear their head. Quoting Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe, and pontificating on the hypocrisies of American militarism, the unnamed gunman's dialogue feels like an attempt to bring an unnecessary extra layer of menace to what's already a fine and gripping story. It'd be like taking the shark from The Shallows and having it lecture Blake Lively on the inequities of big game fishing. The threat is already there, you don't need anything more. Even so, like The Shallows, The Wall achieves a lot with very little. Full credit to Liman and company, who have crafted a single-setting, single-actor showcase that proves you don't need a $200 million budget to tell a powerful and engaging war story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyCuUr2_hmA
We love a good rooftop bar, but the thought of heading down to a breezy outdoor venue in the middle of winter is not something that easily gets us off the couch. Thankfully, the East Village Hotel is providing us with a dream winter option, having transformed their rooftop terrace into a cosy, northern hemisphere-style winter garden. Inspired by owner Locky Paech's experience of European winter markets in Berlin and Prague, the Darlinghurst pub will be doling out hot European eats, the toastiest of heaters, snowflake-print blankets and literally thousands of fairy lights to make you forget about the grim situation around you. Assuredly, hot alcoholic drinks are involved — cognac hot toddies, warm mead and mulled wine are all on the menu. The limited-time Winter Escape menu features soul-warming delicacies such as honey-glazed ham with spiced pear chutney, bratwurst, currywurst and beef bourguignon. The decked-out rooftop will be open throughout winter — it's a pretty ideal place to thaw out with a savoury pretzel.
