BESPOKE CITY – Artists explore how we can remake Sydney
A new generation of designers, makers, technologists and innovators join artists to reimagine Sydney’s streets.
Transforming a new community space on Oxford Street Paddington and taking over the UNSW Art & Design Campus, this night time art festival will be an enchanting series of bespoke installations, projections and interactive artworks. Collectively they turn the spotlight on the bicycle as a humble but brilliant piece of technology, and share a vision of the city as open to being hacked, remapped and remade. This is one for the makers, the pedalers and the whole family!
Image: James Gulliver Hancock, Town Hall mural, 2014, installation detail. Courtesy the artist and City of Sydney.
Bespoke City features more than 20 artworks, workshops and installations, including:
- Pedal powered light mural – Climb on and peel back the layers of the city. See Sydney in flux as your pedalling efforts produce variations in light, colour and space. Artists: Jonathon Bolitho, Jeong Greaves, Jobe Williams.
- Autonomous painting machine – A robot-painter that tracks human movements to create curious images, prompting viewers to think about how machine intelligence is influencing our lives. Artist: Jeffrey Wood
- Bicycles that make music – Create a slow groove or some fast electronic beats as you collaborate with other riders to fill the campus with a unique and evolving sound piece. Artists: Milkcrate Events.
- Microbiology in the urban wild – Examine the city at the molecular level using a bike-powered laboratory created by the first Citizen Scientist molecular biology lab. Artists: BioFoundry
- A virtual ride from Paddington to Rozelle – ‘Veloscape’ is an immersive video work in which your pedalling takes you on a traverse of the city. Artists: Volker Kuchelmeister and Laura Fisher
- Giant data visualisation – Watch the ebb and flow of rider movements around Sydney, with a specially commissioned work inspired by the City’s cycling data. Artist: Hanley Weng.
You’ll also encounter works by well known Sydney-based artists Richard Goodwin, Josh Harle, Maria White, Jamil Yamani and James Gulliver Hancock. There will be plenty of opportunities to play (so bring the kids!), get a free bicycle tune-up, join the guerrilla knitters, make some custom reflective gear (yes, replace that ugly hi-vis vest) and grab food and drink provided by Cargo Bike businesses and pop up stalls.
Bespoke City is part of UNSW Galleries’ First Fridays. Held on the first Friday of each month the Galleries stay open late to host lively events engaging in contemporary art and culture.
This event is supported by the City of Sydney through a Community Matching Grant.
What: Bespoke City
When: 4pm to 9pm on Friday 2 October 2015
Where: UNSW Art & Design and Napier street outdoor space, Corner of Oxford Street and Greens Road, Paddington
