Festival Program

Festival Opening + BigEye Exhibition Opening

The official opening of the On Edge festival, while also launching the Big Eye Aboriginal Animation Exhibition. A night of discreet performances, celebrating Cairns contemporary spaces and artists, with special guests Evolution Control Committee (USA).

Dates: Friday 3rd July
Artists: Evolution Control Committee (USA), TapeDeck Kid, Return Return, Zane Saunders more tbc
Venues: Mofo Gallery, McLeod St
Times: from 6pm
Tickets: $7 / 5 door

Big Eye Aboriginal Animations

An innovative exhibition of Australian and Canadian Aboriginal animations, curated by Jenny Fraser:

"The ancient design styles from both countries lend themselves to the animation artform. When we really look at customary material culture we can almost see objects like bark paintings or totem poles come alive in our minds eye, even without an understanding of their stories. They have such a strong visual literacy all of their own."

Dates: Friday 3rd July
Artists: Curated by Jenny Fraser. Artists: Aroha Groves, Frank McLeod, Skawennati Tricia Fragnito (Can), Dennis & Melanie Jackson (Can), Chad Solomon (Can), Colin Curwen (Can), Jenny Fraser, Gubalanya Community & Gozer Media, Christine Peacock, Rebekah Pitt & John Graham, Anthony Wong (Can).
Venues: Mofo Gallery, McLeod St
Times: from 6pm, Exhibition 3rd - 18th July daily times tbc
Tickets: Opening as above, exhibition free

DeepNorth / XP66

'DeepNorth' will examine the visual and social aspect of the Far Northern ecology and environment, and specific intersections of human activity and legacy.

Dates: Saturday 4th July
Artists: File_Error
Venues: Crate59 Gallery backroom. 59 Sheridan St
Times: from 6pm
Tickets: free

UpNow - Contemporary Dance

A new program aimed at stimulating independent practitioners to produce short solo/duo works involving 2 or more disciplines (dance/performance with sound/media/screen). Aimed at stimulating contemporary dance/performance in Cairns, and as a professional development lever for artists and new work. A series of 3 professional development workshops, curated by Rebecca Youdell, will precede the performance event with guests and local practitioners.

Dates: Sat 4th July - (Workshops: May 28, June 11, 25)
Artists: Curated by Rebecca Youdell. Leah Shelton, Lisa Fa'alafi, Efeso Fa'anana, & guests
Venue: Crate59, 59 Sheridan St, Cairns
Times: Doors 7.00pm, Show 8.00pm
Tickets: $15 / 12 Ticketlink

Induce Critical Dialogues

A series of panels and professional development workshops exploring various themes/art forms/junctions in contemporary media/sound/performance. A critical writing program, indigenous media and performance program, and open workshops and panels with guest festival artists and local practitioners.

Date/s: Thurs 9th, Fri 10th, Sat 11th, Sun 12th July
Artists: Jenny Fraser, Keith Gallasch (RealTime Magazine), David Williams (Version 1.0), Jackson Castiglione (PVI Collective), Leah Shelton (Polytoxic), Russell Milledge (JCU)
Venue: Arts Nexus & Crate59, 59 Sheridan St, Cairns
Times: various
Tickets: free

Blueprint - Zane Saunders

A contemporary performance that explores the theory, methodology and practical implications of traditional (fire) management in Cape York.

Zane Saunders draws from a strong traditional in visual arts, yet produces unique, contemporary performance and installation works, that both draw from his cultural heritage, and contemporary living context.

Dates: Thurs 9th & Sat 11th July
Artist: Zane Saunders & guests
Venue: Crate59, 59 Sheridan St
Time: Doors 6.00pm, Show 7.00pm
Tickets: $15 / 12

LAPS - Live Art In Public Space

This innovative live art program continues to diffuse the boundaries between audience and artist, and between real-life and contemporary practice. LAPS provides discreet interventions in various public spaces in the Cairns area. Contemporary dance, performance and media artists are invited to devise unique works that challenge notions of public space use, and ‘public art'. LAPS Finale: kids and young peoples media & performance, on the Esplanade at dusk.

Dates: Fri 10th, Sat 11th, Fri 18th (Finale) July
Artists: Leah Shelton, Lisa Fa'alafi, Efeso Fa'anana & various local guests tbc
Venues: Various public spaces (City Place, Esplanade, Library) tbc
Times: Fri 10th, Sat 11th - 1.30pm, Fri 18th - 6.00-8.00pm - Esplanade
Tickets: free

Digital is the new Analogue - The Upholstery

How has the digital domain taken over your life? What analogue devices and systems do you still hold dearly? What is the nexus between digital and analogue: between vinyl and MP3's, between VHS and DVD, between painting and new media, between dance and movement, between the home phone and iPhone What are the intersections between these worlds, and how do the aesthetics and functions of each inform the other?

Artists develop works that explore the space between analogue and digital: the differences and similarities, the functionality and limitations, the aesthetic beauty and noise, the internal and the external.

Dates: Opening Fri 9th July - Exhibition 9th- 31st July
Artists: Beth Shorter, Nigel Perera, Annaliese Walker, Return Return, Marky Sparkey, Liz Dunn, Hanzard/Zane Saunders/File_Error. Various - Expression of Interest - Curated by Daniel Wallwork, The Upholstery
Venue: Create59 Gallery, 59 Sheridan St, Cairns
Times: Opening 6.00pm-12.00pm, Exhibition - tbc
Tickets: Gold coin donation, Door.

Whispering Limbs - Bonemap

Intermedia Collective Bonemap present, Whispering Limbs. The new work ‘Whispering Limbs' will further the ongoing dialogue that Bonemap has with the rhythms in nature, memory, and the cycles of growth and decay, which references our unique geographic location. Featuring an improvised process of creative dialogue with guest artist and capable local practioners.

Dates: Fri 10th, Sat 11th, Sun 12th July
Artists: Bonemap (Rebecca Youdell & Russell Milledge), Leah Shelton, Lisa Fa'alafi, Efeso Fa'anana, Earl Rosas
Venue: JUTE Theatre, Centre of Contemporary Arts, Abbott St, Cairns
Times: Doors 8.00pm, 9.00pm each night
Tickets: $20 / 15 Ticketlink

Liquid Architecture 10

The annual Liquid Architecture festival hosts a night of sound art/new music with International/National and local sound artists. Liquid Architecture is a sense specific festival, as opposed to art form specific. Occurring annually since 2000, Liquid Architecture celebrates the diverse methods of sound making and sound theory. Liquid Architecture believe that listening is a vital activity, and one that is often overlooked within the dominance of visual media in our environment. Featuring Perlonex (Ger), Soddell/Caddy (Melb) and Submerge 3 (Return Return, Nigel Perera & Bitcloud).

Artists: Perlonex (Ger), Soddell/Caddy (Melb) and Submerge 3 (Return Return, Nigel Perera & Bitcloud).
Venue: Crate59 Gallery, 59 Sheridan St, Cairns,
Date: Sun 12th July
Time: 6.00pm
Tickets: free

Jemima Wyman Exhibition

Jemima Wyman is a performance artist who also makes installations, videos, photo collages and paintings that are brilliantly patterned visual representations of the body. She frequently uses fabric "skins" to highlight the interface of the inside and outside of the body, between the viewer and viewed and the subject and the object. In so doing, she seeks to critique the conventional representation and commodification of the body.

Artist/s: Jemima Wyman
Venue: KickArts Gallery Upstairs, in partnership with the IMA.
Dates: Jun 16 - July 25
Tickets: free

Submerged

The festival officially closes with a night of short performance works from artists associated with the Submerge experimental performance series and On Edge.

Artists: The stable of TNQ based Submerge artists.
Venue: JUTE Theatre, Centre of Contemporary Arts
Date: Sat 18th July
Time: Doors 7.00pm, Show 8.00pm
Tickets: $7 / 5