I think I have just entered my 100th blog!! Stayed tuned - so busy - I missed blogging about where I went and saw on Saturday! Back blogging now.
(photos attached first - blog to follow).
I have been waiting for months for contemporary Japanese artist Tatsuo Miyajima's "Connect With Everything" exhibition to open at the MCA. I had planned to go and see it on Saturday 12th November 2016 which coincides with the MCA's 25th birthday celebration weekend but put it forward to see it this weekend.
Wow! Is all I can say about "Connect With Everything" One of those must see exhibitions for lovers of contemporary art. Rating 9/10.
It's all about the numbers and randomness and the LED coloured lights - hundreds and thousands of them - possibly even millions of them used throughout the entire exhibition in a series of 2 and 3 dimensional pieces of artwork.
Some of the pieces of artwork in the exhibition I simply could not understand whilst some had obvious messages.
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| This train set is one for the kids - watch the lit up train quietly travel around the eliptical track and watch the randomly changing numbers scattered around the rather large central artifical mountain. I managed to be there when the train shut down to a stand still. Favourite 👍 |
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| I did not understand either of these video presentations. Why would you want to constantly count down in Japanese then emerse yourself in a vessel of water over and over again. Even more extreme why would you want to count down in French and emerse yourself over and over again in a vessel of red wine? 👎 |
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| This was a series of "defaced" currency of what looked like Chinese notes of some denomination - notes painted over with each of their serial numbers exposed. Is this even legal? I suppose it is as it is not the destruction of currency just the defacement of it. Someone made a comment about offending the country the currency was from - is there a hidden politcal message here from the Japanese to the Chinese? Or are the colours of red and gold just the artist sending out a message of good luck and prosperity as well as the use of the lucky number 8 (see photo below ) in accordance with Asian superstitions. Kids don't do this one at home! Favouite 👍 |
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| I called this simply the "blue room". You walk into this large room and connected along the 2 side walls and the wall in front of you there are hundreds even thousands of randomly lit up numbered lights on a blue background. These numbered lights flash off in front of you in a random sequence probably controlled by a central computer. There is a a row of seats where you can sit for hours just watching these lights which have a mesmerizing and calming effect. Reminds me of a modernized version of PAC MAN but in monochrome and without the pressure of scoring points to get up to the next levels of the game because there is no end - it is infinite |
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| What a beautiful rectangular fish pond stretching the length of the gallery. All RSPC approved containing lotus leaves. 8 orange gold fish and 1 white gold fish representing each number 1 to 9 inclusive and the single illusive black gold fish representing the number 0 perhaps which was difficult to spot against the black fish pond. I managed to find the illusive black gold fish amongst the randomly flashing number lights in the water. The fish in the pond seemed to be attracted to rather then scared off by the numbered led lights as they lit up - they were actually touching them - maybe the fish just thought these were another source of food as they did look a little hungry! Favourite 👍 |
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| I call this simply the "red room" .This room with its hundreds even thousands of led lights suspended from the ceiling in a dark red room is meant to simulate watching the night sky with all its stars. The room welcomes visitors to lie on the floor amongst the bean bag/oversized cushions to relax and gaze up at them. |
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| At the National Centre for Creative Learning there are always free activities for the kids and their families. Activities vary depending on the exhibition currently on and are very interactive but maybe not as intricate as the kids activities at the NGV in Melbourne (refer my previous blogs Fake Food Park and Viktor & Rolf ) |
Tina Havelock Stevens Liveworks "Thunderhead" Screening @ Carriageworks
I had a quick look at this exhibition which was a cinema sized screen running a video documentary of storm chasers backed by a sound track . I did not stay for the live drum improvisation performance to the screening from 8 pm - 11 pm that night.
Jon Rose Liveworks "The Museum Goes Live" Live Performance @ Carriageworks
I was curious what this exhibition was all about on my original visit to Liveworks to see Ross Manning's "Melody Lines" during the day but not curious enough to actually go into the performance space to see it. I only knew it was something to do with violins and thought it may be just another video screening of a performance. I had never heard of Jon Rose.
Because Ross Manning's live sound performance was not until 8 pm that night, I hung around Carriageworks and started my blogging for some of the earlier events I had attended that weekend.
At around 6 pm a rather long queue started to form outside the performance space of "The Museum Goes Live" exhibition. I inquired about the performance and whether it was free. Yes it was so thought why not see it and joined the queue. A volunteer guide was queuing up behind me so I asked out of curiousity what the performance was about. I was advised it was a combination of electronically controlled string instruments and traditional string instruments and that Jon Rose was a brillant violinist however there is a surprise during the performance careful not revealling what this was. I told the volunteer guide that I was open to all kinds of music as she did mention I may not like this type of music as it does not apoeal to everyone.
As the queue started to move and enter into the performance space there was a warning sign that advised the audience that this performance contained strobes and nudity.
An adult performance OK it was a late night performance and there was no sign of young children amongst the adults that night.
The performance was very bizzare. The performance space itself was a museum - violins of all shapes and sizes, books, toys old and new all related to music and string instruments and instruments of all sorts many modified and electronically controlled.
Yes the music was bizzare and it was full of strobes percussion keyboard and stringed instruments intercepted with intervals of extreme live voilin performances by Jon Rose himself and/or his modified electronically controlled instruments. Then came the climax/surprise in the background a black coffin on stage suddenly opens over and over again with an older stark naked woman screaming as if it was a trick or treat on Halloween. I did not find it scary but it would have definitely scared any kids away! It did seem to compliment the performance though along with the strobe lighting.
Ross Manning Liveworks "Melody Lines" Sound Performance Night 8 pm 5th November 2016 @ Carriageworks
Since this was my second visit to Liveworks @ Carriageworks to see Ross Manning's "Melody Lines" , I wanted to show the different pespectives in his work from day to night - the way in which the changes in light relect and refract off his piece of work from different angles. His one off live sound performance at 8 pm to accompany his work was just as amazing.
Rating 8/10
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