After
‘visiting’ London and Milan in the “Home and Away” series, on June 18-26, 2015;
Maison Folie brought us to down under.
The
5th Ailleurs en Folie, meet the most important wealth of Melbourne:
its cultural diversity.
Twinned
with Mons (from a distance!), the Australian city was built over the course of
many years of migration. With an artistic programming, this is a chance to
travel to other continent and explore the different audio-visual worlds of both
Australian and home-grown artists.
“Rehearsing Catastrophe - an ark for Mons” (Lyndal Jones) plunges us into a rehearsal for a fictional departure where we respond to the current and future environmental forces that create the perpetual movement of people seeking refuge.
Article 14.1 offers a silent and poignant question mark about history, politics and economic circumstances that feed Australian refugee identity. It is about human endurance and the desire for freedom, the cost and risk that people are willing to take in order to attain it.
“On Closer Inspection (It wasn't what I thought it would look like)” by Paul Gazzola is a large-scale labryrinth like installation, exploring notions of utopia, assemblage and the imperfection of an image. Made from locally sourced materials and a series of hand-painted theatre backdrops, it seeks to reconfigure and remake the local anew.
This is my favorite one.. “Hiromi Hotel – Mons” (Hiromi Tango) is an immersive installation woven from recognizable materials to create a ‘refuge’ – a festive soft-sanctuary. Created with the assistance of residents of Mons and les Borinages, this cheerful place is a safe place for joyful interaction and engagement.
The
opening day was so awesome. It’s one of the longest days of the year, so we had
bbq and free flow drinks to accompany us catching up with friends. The Laneway
Concert series is also a unique opportunity to experience different aspects of
Melbourne’s music scene.. independent music across range of styles.