Melbourne has a thriving and internationally recognised sound art and experimental music scene, and it has a number of platforms in the Melbourne Now exhibition and associated public programs.
We have invited a number of sound artists and composers to participate in the project Now Hear This which can be found at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia on levels two and three. Our design department have created three dedicated listening rooms to enjoy a project that features 67 artists, musicians, collectives and bands. The program is divided into seven themes, each with dedicated curators including notable practitioners Oren Ambarchi, Camilla Hannan, Stéphanie Kabanyana Kanyandekwe, Philip Samartzis, Emily Siddons, Thembi Soddell, and Eamon Sprod, and NGV curators Max Delany, Maggie Finch and Simon Maidment.
There are also an extensive range of performances planned during the course of the exhibition at both NGV venues, including our Friday Nights and Sunday Sessions programs, with details available via the NGV website and Melbourne Now smartphone App as they are released. We kick these programs off with Ancient Memories performing on Friday 22nd November, the opening day, at 2pm and 4pm at Community Hall in the ground floor of NGV International. Also at Community Hall the opening weekend features Darren Sylvester playing at 2:30 on Saturday 23rd and Social Studio will present two bands and African drumming at 3pm on Sunday 24th.
As part of the Satellite programs of Melbourne Now, we are presenting Disruptions, a special event at the Corner Hotel in Richmond featuring Robin Fox, Marco Fusinato and Oren Ambarchi. The evening, on December 4th, is associated with the Now Hear This sound program in the exhibition, with each artist appearing in the Disruptions playlist which Ambarchi has guest curated. Once a year these artists get together to present ‘an earth shattering mix of deeply sculpted tones, wild chaotic noise and blinding audio-vision’. Fusinato, who has a major sculptural commission as part of Melbourne Now on level 3 NGV International, will be presenting his unique brand of guitar torture creating an improvised ‘noise tsunami’. Ambarchi, together with Now Hear This participant Joe Talia, will be performing a duo version of his recently released Knots. Fox will present a signature light and sound performance that utilises synced laser and sound.
Tickets for this special event can be booked via the Corner Hotel: https://corner.ticketscout.com.au/gigs/1949-disruptions?_ga=1.126822024.464208327.1363836479