My picks: Amanda Bennetts’s guide to the festival
A guide to Horizon festival by amanda bennetts
Amanda is the bomb. She’s an artist, a lovely person, and the founder — slash doer of everything — of the 40 Under 40 Exhibition. If we could, we would have Amanda create a guide for our life.
Over to you, Amanda.
My Challenge: Choose 5 events from the 2022 Horizon Festival lineup to attend.
My Concern: I would like to attend all 46.
My first recommendation: The Sinkers
A team of under-whelming synchronised swimmers… in bright yellow flapper hats evoking nostalgic memories of my “no hat, no play” schoolyard era. The absolute beauty of being a spectator in this outdoor performance is that you remain dry and relatively warm. Turn up with a coffee in hand, sporting that garish hoodie. As you watch the ensemble of below-average synchronised swimmers frolic and splash fabulously around in the water, I can anticipate the whisper you share with the person beside you… “shit that looks cold”.
My only question… do they sell the hats as merch?
My second endorsement: The Faboriginal, Steven Oliver.
The event description says it all and there is no need for me to elaborate because it sounds absolutely fabulous. Oliver will be having a bit of a rap, bit of a sing, bit of a tap and a lot of shaking his ring. Told you, sounds fab!
What’s this I read? A Pharmacy to cure my political predicaments? I am intrigued…
Artist Cat Jones will bring her experimental pharmacy to the coast, engaging with participants to diagnose and create homemade medicaments to remedy personal and political ailments. Say no more! I am in! This reflective and sensory experience is part apothecary, part apothegmy, part installation — and altogether looks to be a uniquely immersive experience. Did I mention that it’s in an old lock-up?!
Next up… The Fluro Dreaminess on offer at RisoFest.
Purveyors of Fine (and affordable) Art… I’m looking at you.
Are you looking to add to your art collection? Whether you’re a seasoned culture vulture, an enthusiastic beginner, or just curious about our region’s artists, you would be crazy to miss out on RISOFEST! What is a Riso I hear you ask with furrowed brow? They have nothing to do with everyone’s favourite bad girl Pink Lady from Grease — but are just as vivacious. Riso is a unique printing process where, unlike digital printing, there’s no option to print in standard ink colours like CMYK (yawn… boring). Riso printing can be an inaccurate and unpredictable print process, making it much more relatable and intriguing! Head to RISOFEST to check out some of the incredible artworks by Sunshine Coast-based artists like Evelyn Marina Poalino (Pow-leen-no). All pieces will be printed in limited edition and available for $50 during the exhibition. Yep… $50. Get to it!
My final endorsement : Kellie O’Dempsey’s, What Did You Say?
An event that has projection, sound and augmented reality? Cool. Pack a picnic and a flask of steamy mulled wine and head down to Cotton Tree. Take in the sunset before witnessing Kellie O’Dempsey’s immersive installation as she reimagines a tree’s stomata as the mouth through which the plant breathes.
If you are reading this, I was able to sneak a 6th event recommendation past the gatekeeper of the Horizon Festival’s digital content guru to do a bit of shameless self-promotion! Phototropism is an immersive visual art exhibition curated by Warwick Gow and yours truly… We have ensembled some incredible artists to create an experience that plans to disrupt the notion of photography. Come and explore the medium of photography as an object with illuminating structures, projections, soundscapes and sculptures; think VIVID but in NAMBOUR, and in a big black box that is a whole lot smaller than Sydney Harbour. Ok, it’s nothing like VIVID, but at least I captured your attention. See you there!