Saturday night left me driving home after midnight, with a head internally lit in wonderment.
It wasn’t the conventional Saturday night of a 24 year old in 2013… instead one of astronomy, Ziggy Stardust and community arts interaction. A Bundanon Trust project, usually titled Sitework was transformed to Niteworks; a celebration of the night sky; of astronomy, moon cycles, Indigenous cosmology and nocturnal animals. With a collaboration of Visual/Media artists, Scientists,Performers and Astronomers; who successfully formed an aesthetic web of experience and insight.
I carried out my University placement as a volunteer; with festival t-shirt, lanyard with AAA (which to my new knowledge stands for Access all Areas” not battery power- lame joke I shared with some fellow volunteers) and a chance to be around some like minded creative people. The overarching involvement of a volunteer is to enhance the experience of the visitors, this i found to be a very easy and rewarding task. As I spent some time at the entry point giving introductions and collecting data, I noticed streams of inquisitive faces.
One particular fresh faced young girl was unforgettable in nature. I sensed her feelings by the big young teethy grin and rise and fall of her pink cardiganed shoulders, so i asked her ” are you excited ?” she answered “yes” confidently and i met eyes with her and agreed “me too”. This enthusiasm inspired me alot, it made me think of the fun that is offered within such an event to play and open up our imaginations.
With the welcome to country set to the sun falling over the land, the festival highlights began. I sat in on a talk with astronomers and lots of interested ears and eyes, as shots of space dot work were projected on a communal screen. The night around me hummed of good energy, so i moved outside where I ran into an old chemist customer and photographer, we enjoyed chatting and taking photo of the installations and the NiteRaft performance by the Bomaderry High School students.
The works all of site specific value, illuminated the topography of the land creating a dream like imagined space. I couldnt help but appreciate the work of the curator David Cranswick, in situating the participants in a relative position to the works, both physically and metaphysically.
The encompassing of local Shoalhaven Astronomers group into the festival was the highlight for me.Looking through a telescope at the moon for the very first time, made me feel both enlightened, at the same time as insignificant as a human being.This beautiful sphere that we look to; in times of contemplation or as some understand its cycle to dictate their gardens growth, their mood and the protagonist of the all the night sky stories. How can one not fall short of words or breath?
I was not only inspired by new insights on astrology, but also the ability of artists to engage in its complex movements. With the most intriguing work for me coming from sound artists; David Haines and Joyce Hinterding, The falls of darkness, being a work that reconfigures signal from electrostatic disturbances through instruments into sound. With very little understanding of anything technological and the guidance of another installation artist, I am still overwhelmed by its complexity. But this multiplicity that science allows for, hold a significant place of growth in the art world.
Iam still in wonder from the aesthetic impression of the sight, but also from the warmness and hope I got from being involved in such a meaningful community event.
Get Involved in the community, it is enriching to be apart of collective excitement. {Pictures to come} …….
Cinnamon Girl x
acinnamonspoon 