MPavilion’s program extended
Due to popular demand, MPavilion’s February 2018 program of free cultural and design events, presented under the pavilion designed by renowned international architects Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA, has been extended to 11 February 2018. Concluding MPavilion’s 2017–18 season on Sunday 11 February is a special film screening of Rem Koolhaas: A kind of architect, an engaging portrait of MPavilion’s visionary architect, about which Rem says, “It’s the only film about me I have ever liked.”
To conclude this season’s rich array of free talks, workshops, performances and other happenings, the final weeks of this year’s MPavilion program feature the following just-announced events:
· MPavilion’s inaugural Regional Program collaboration with Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) concludes with two special events featuring Sydney-based artist Keg de Souza on Sunday 4 February at MPavilion and Tuesday 6 February in Shepparton. Engaging with local communities through the Regional Program, Keg de Souza has created an alternative map of the Shepparton area revealing personal narratives that are part of the layered food culture in the region; the long history of and the continuing indigenous food culture of the area; and various waves of immigration surrounding the industrialised agriculture that the region is famous for.
· An extra-special MTalks on Monday 5 February (6–7pm) looking at MPavilion: Behind the scenes, featuring representatives from construction and landscape partners Kane Constructions, Tract and Arup. Rounding off the evening is Sonic Systems Laboratory, a robotic percussion MMusic performance by innovative Australian sound artist Robbie Avenaim joined by a special guest line-up.
· Movement and contemplation feature in this season’s final weeks, with contemporary yoga with renowned contemporary dance company Chunky Move on the mornings of Tuesday 30 January and Tuesday 6 February (7.30–8.15am); the final session of Quiet morning meditation with A—SPACE on Wednesday 7 February (7.15–8am); plus a brand new addition to the program, Thai Fit on the morning of Thursday 8 February, (7.15–8.15am), providing an introduction to an original new ‘dancercise’ that borrows from Thai traditional dance and martial arts.
· Sibling Architecture’s popular event series Designing the age-friendly city continues into the new year on Thursday 8 February (12–4pm) with the MMeets entitled Sound of Dementia, a soundscape installation presented by Arup and BLOXAS Architects, designed to explore the sensory experience of people living with dementia, reimagining how we might shape spaces for dementia sufferers through empathetic, experimental design.
· On Friday 9 February (6–8pm), join City of Melbourne director of city design and projects Rob Adams, Melbourne University professor of architecture, urban design Kim Dovey, and landscape architect and urban designer Ron Jones as they launch their new book, Urban Choreography: Central Melbourne, 1985– (Melbourne University Press, 2018). The book will be launched by outgoing University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Professor Glyn Davis, and will include an MTalks panel discussion with the three authors as well as former Lord Mayor of Melbourne (1987–8) Lecki Ord, and former CEO of Federation Square (2003–13) Kate Brennan, moderated by City of Melbourne CEO Ben Rimmer.
· On Saturday 10 February (11am–1pm), Open House Melbourne continues its celebration of influential American journalist, author and activist Jane Jacobs with Walking with Jane—a multi-faceted event comprising a reading from Jacobs’ ground-breaking body of work; a conversation between Open House Melbourne representatives and the organisers of Jane’s Walk; and lastly a special Jane’s Walk around the MPavilion precinct.
· Later on Saturday 10 February (1.30–3pm), Assajan Collective and Swinburne University present Chatchai, a multi-instrumentalist and electronic producer from Thailand, bringing together electronic music and traditional Thai instruments to compose a live, improvised work using audience participation to guide the direction of the music.
· Long-running MPavilion collaborators Chapter Music close off proceedings for Saturday 10 February with Australian Queer Music History (3.30–6.30pm), in partnership with the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives. This intriguing MTalks features archivist Nick Henderson, influential folk singer-songwriter Judy Small and Kathy Sport—an academic specialising in women singers of the 1970s and 1980s—looking back at the historical roots of LGBTQIA+ songwriting in Australia. The talk will be followed by performances to be announced soon.
· MPavilion’s 2017–18 season concludes on Sunday 11 February with an MMeets (11am–1.30pm) with Australian fashion designer, funeral celebrant and death practitioner Pia Interlandi, in this one-of-a-kind event exploring ‘garments for the grave’ and Pia’s practice surrounding design and dressing for the end of life. Directly afterwards, chair of the Hugh D.T. Williamson Foundation Martin Carlson OAM heads up an MTalks on Citizen science (1.30–2.30pm), featuring director of Science Gallery Melbourne, Rose Hiscock and Bug Blitz Trust director John Caldow, practitioners working in the field speaking on the intersections between creativity and science. Later, the final MMusic performance for the season is Plenty Heat: Live rap & soul (3–7pm), bringing to the pavilion a fiery afternoon of live rap and soul acts curated by Fitzroy Clubhouse featuring some of their youngest rising stars—including Girl Zone, the much-hyped hip-hop group with an average age of 11 years old.
· The final event on Sunday 11 February at 8.30pm—and for MPavilion 2017–18’s season—is a film screening of Rem Koolhaas: A kind of architect, an engaging portrait of MPavilion 2017’s visionary co-architect, which takes us to the heart of his ideas.
Every evening at twilight until the final night on Sunday 11 February, MPavilion continues to erupt into an audiovisual symphony presented in collaboration with musician, composer and sound designer Philip Brophy and lighting designer Ben Cobham of bluebottle. Likewise, each morning, MPavilion’s daily morning ritual features an intimate and personal audio storytelling experience by N’arweet Carolyn Briggs, an elder of the Boonwurrung nation, and language and linguistics expert committed to recording and sharing her heritage and history in oral and written form.
MPavilion is supported by major partners City of Melbourne, the Victorian State Government through Creative Victoria and ANZ. MPavilion 2017’s Regional Program in collaboration with Shepparton Art Museum and Geelong Gallery has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. MPavilion is Wi-Fi enabled and powered by Optus.
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