The second year of Geelong After Dark, M~M’s little sister event, was a hit! More than 10,000 people came out on Friday May 8th to see 247 artists and 95 new artworks pop up in surprising places around the Geelong city centre.
M~M featured six stunning events at Geelong After Dark 2015. These events were created by artists commissioned to work with specific communities along the M~M contemporary songline as concept development for M~M2016.
The Pines
ARTISTS: MATT BONNER WITH TIFFANY PATERSON
The Lara Soldiers Avenue is the oldest arborial community planting in Geelong and a solemn memorial to service and sacrifice. At Geelong After Dark a dawn ceremony among the trees is projected into the darkness of Geelong’s lanes, the flickering of a pre-digital technology reminding us that the past is present in the future and rituals are what bring us together. The Pines is conceived as a continuous flow of images rather than as conventional narrative, a poetic rendering of a time and place, a film about the act of rememberance.
The Pines film has been made with members of Lara RSL who participated as hosts of M~M 2014 Lara walking circle. The Pines film is the starting point to engaging with the RSL creatively with a view to them collaborating with an artist for M~M2016 as active participants and creators as well as hospitable hosts for the walking circle. As custodians of the Lara Soldier’s Avenue this seems an appropriate starting point to explore the significance and symbolism of the pine trees to the RSL members and as a distinctive part of the Lara landscape.
Soft Oyster
ARTISTS: NICK WILSON, DANIELE POIDONANI AND JASON BOHEME
Soft Oyster, created by the youth of the North of Geelong alongside professional puppet makers, is encased in beautiful patterned circular forms dreamed up by the Norlane Yarn Bombers. These patterns echoe the light and hyperbolic crochet of the M~M2014 Moorpanyal Park walking circle. The oyster pearl glows softly as it completes its sisyphean circuit. It reflects the relentless nature of the sea and the tenacity of organisms like the Corio Bay Oyster that have returned to our waters after years of depletion.
Grass Shrine
ARTISTS: VISUAL ARTISTS SIMON MACAULAY, SINGER/COMPOSER ROSE BYGRAVE AND WRITER BARRY HILL
Native grasslands are as diverse as they are unique. They have played a crucial role in biodiversity, Aboriginal culture and European colonisation with the introduction of grazing animals. An iconic plant within the original grasslands is the Kangaroo Grass, Themeda triandra, found in every State and Territory in Australia. Native grasslands are now estimated to be as low as 1% of their original cover in Victoria and are amongst the most endangered habitats.
Noise Scavengers
ARTIST: JAMES HULLICK
Noise Scavengers are a constantly morphing group of young people from Geelong’s northern suburbs who have been collaborating with James Hullick and the Click Clack Project for a number of years. Industrial, experimental and unpredictable, Noise Scavengers’ latest incarnation could be terrifying or very zen.
A Noise Scavengers quartet performed at Sonic Flock in the Melbourne Festival alongside professional musicians and artists including Ros Bandt. This incarnation of Noise Scavengers is a first step in the development of the next stage of Noise Scavengers which seeks to engage marginalised young people in contemporary arts practice and performance with a view to participation in M~M2016 at Steampacket Gardens.
Shadow Puppets After Dark
ARTISTS: JAMES PRATT, KAZ MCGLYNN WITH OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA PRIMARY SCHOOL, OCEAN GROVE
The river themed story of “Boora the Pelican” is closely aligned to the environmental features and birdlife of the Barwon River Estuary. In creating a shadow puppet show inspired by this story, students have extended their creative skills and also learned about storytelling within indigenous cultures.
The school community of Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School was involved in M~M2014 creating the walking circle on the beach at Ocean Grove. At GAD2015, they perform alongside the Barwon Heads Primary School “Marine Puppets After Dark”. This will lead to further opportunities for collaboration between the two school communities for M~M2016.
Marine Puppets After Dark
ARTISTS: DAN GORONSZY, NICK BARLOW, LIZ MCGRATH & PENNY SAUNDERS WITH BARWON HEADS PRIMARY SCHOOL
The communities of Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove are separated physically by the environmentally significant Barwon River Estuary. Although only three kilometres separate Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, the two towns have developed into two distinct communities evidenced by their historic rivalries in sporting events.
“Marine Puppets After Dark” working alongside “Shadow Puppets After Dark” created by Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School from Ocean Grove, brings the two communities together to celebrate our shared links to our coastal environment. “Marine Puppets After Dark” parade audiences through the streets at Geelong After Dark 2015 to the Dimmy’s shop window to watch the “Shadow Puppets After Dark” performance.
Barwon Heads Primary School created star lanterns for M~M2014. Progressing their skills in puppetry will lead to further opportunities for creative involvement in next year's M~M2016.
Photographs courtesy of the Geelong Camera Club and other photographers including:
- Brien Cohn
- D Grant
- Ketut Sewitra
