Just as well I didn't go as the afternoon became cold , overcast and even started to sprinkle with rain.
I had also intended to make it back to Redfern in time to see the activation of The Ghostline @ 4 pm @ Carriageworks on the closing day of The National 2019 New Australian Art as well as see A Drone Opera which just opened last Thursday also @ Carriageworks.
I made the right decision to stay in Sydney and head off to Carriageworks after a stop off at Townhall for lunch from my favourite snack places Lunburger- a seeded egg roll and The Little Fish Shoppe 5 calamari rings.
Trackwork yet again on the Northshore line and the new Metroline therefore had to catch the 340 to Townhall and a train to Redfern. A walk then to Carriageworks.
First stop A Drone Opera - projected onto 3 large screens in a very dark room, A Drone opera was part laser part drone footage and part opera without any of the above actually present thank goodness as the lasers beams would blind you the drones flying overhead would hit you and the piercing opera pitches would annoy some people.
A combination of art and technology this projection ran on a loop of 20 minute durations. The opera talent was brillant, the laser light colours luminescent and the drone footage quite invasive. I loved the acoustics from the sounds of the opera performance and the special effects from the lasers and drones. The opera itself sounded part modern part Notre Damish and part aliens from out of space.
After watching the entire 20 minutes of A Drone Opera, I had time to revisit the parts of the art installations I missed on my last visit to The National 2019 New Australian Art @ Carriageworks.
The very last art installation complete with a live performance I just did not get. A painted landscape around a curved wall of what looked like snow capped mountains in a dark room. We were told no mobile phones videos or photography allowed inside. I wondered why as we were free to video and photograph the rest of the art installations. I thought it had domething to do with flamables as there were a lot of match sticks and feathers around the painting on the floor last time I was here. This time I could smell the smoke in the room. Out pops the performer/so called artist - naked covered in feathers in the dark. He strikes a match and stops holding the flame up to illuminate the painting until it extinguished out, he staggers slowly around the painting with this repeated sequence and then staggers slowly around to the back of the room reaching up and feeling around for something as he moves closer but around us, we all backed away from him. He finishes where he starts and strikes another match - now I know why phones videos and photography are not allowed! It was pretty creepy I have to admit especially as he staggered closer towards us. Upon leaving a visitor asked if the artist ever varies his routine - the answer was very little and he does it continuously for 6 hours straight without a break.
Next stop time to make my way outside of the Carriageworks building to see the 4 pm activation of Tom Muller's Ghostline in about 15 minutes. There were a series of talks on the closing day of The National 2019 New Australian Art by artists therefore as the talks concluded so did a large gathering of visitors - all heading outside the Carriageworks building to watch the 4 pm activation of Ghostline. I was luck to meet the technician responsible for the daily activations of the Ghostline art installation. I asked him where to stand to get the best photographic angle and the duration of the installation. The art installation runs for 2 minutes and is activated daily at 11 am and 4 pm with a special closing day activation at 6 pm tonight which I decided not to stay for but would have been a rare photographers' opportunity. The technician told me how the 11 am activation didn't go quite to plan and failed and how one time it actually set off the smoke alarm. This time he had to ensure he got it correct so I left him to do his job as the activation time came closer and he didn't disappoint. It was worth the wait and my revisit out to Carriageworks which is likened to an isolated ghost town when there is nothing else is on. The weekly Saturday markets had closed by 1 pm for the day, it was a bit overcast and sprinkling with rain, there was a major water pipe burst along almost the entire road outside above Carriageworks with major detours and block offs - water spewing out everywhere which meant no flushing toliet facilities onsite and only 4 temporary portaloos set up outside the Carriageworks building - 2 of which were removed off site whilst I was there ( gee you would not want to be in one of them during their removal!) and there is nowhere on site to get a coffee or a bite to eat anymore ( the cafe closed down many months ago). The technician also advised me that the view of the Ghostline changes dependant on weather and time - rain will cause the plumes or clouds of smoke to appear lower and the angle of the sunlight also creates a unique view. During or immediately after the smoke is released visitors also walk back inside the Carriageworks building for a different perspective of the Ghostline art installation. Get the right time and weather conditions and you can get the perfect errie photographic opportunity. A coincidental continuation of my previous Mortuary Station visit.
Photos below and please refee to my YouTube video uploaded.
Inside the Carria geworks building straight after the Ghostline activation was complete.
Is this Utopia ?
this was a photo I took outside the Carriageworks building just before the activation of Ghostline - the sun is setting in the background
The kids present loved running in and out of the clouds of smoke - curious of what it was like to stand inside them
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