Weird Science curated by Keg de Souza 31 May 2013

Celebrate MCA ARTBAR driven by Audi first birthday this May as you experiment with the theme of weird science curated by Sydney artist Keg de Souza. From the 1985 teen sci-fi film classic by John Hughes to the literal meaning of weird science, Keg invites you to interpret the evening as you see fit. Create Kelly LeBrock out of a computer program, or ponder the vast meaning and strangeness of our modern scientific accomplishments.

Step inside an inflatable planetarium or take in some screenings from the infamous Mu Meson archives. Encounter Wade Marynowsky’s robots, Diego Bonetto’s test-tube gardens or Justice Yeldham’s unhealthy obsession with sheets of broken glass. For our very first birthday you can expect strange things to be happening in dark the corners of the MCA. Hypothesise on the sculpture terrace for one of the most magical views of Vivid in Sydney.

It’s art but not as you know it

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Workout Edition 26 April 2013

We flexed our minds, enjoyed a night of conceptual physicality, and trained to gain in April for MCA ARTBAR – Workout Edition.

For the first time ever MCA ARTBAR chose seven artists and collaborative groups to help us work our inner artistic core through mental push ups, intellectual stretches and inspirational lycra-clad montages. David Capra, Domenico de Clario, Brian Fuata, Sarah Goffman, Agatha Gothe-Snape with Susan Gibb, The Motel Sisters (Liam Benson & Naomi Oliver) and Jodie Whalen joined us from Workout, a one week exhibition at the MCA drawing on the double meaning of workout as both a strenuous exercise routine and a test of performance capability. We Witnessed the fitness as the artists took their performances from day to night, challenging our ideas of creative stamina and making us feel the burn. We kept in time with the aerobics beat and were sure to stay in time with the class.

Michaela Gleave 22 March 2013

We looked up at the sky in March at MCA ARTBAR driven by Audi, as we headed into the Aether with Michaela Gleave, and had our mind scanned. We Witnessed constellations of live ballerinas and took the solar system home in our pocket.

We joined Kate Mitchell in her adventures down the rabbit hole, and followed Ray Norris out into the cosmos with the art and science of Indigenous Astronomy. We Reached for the stars on the sculpture terrace with DJ Hubble and DJ Arianne.

We were overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the Universe – but didn’t fear – real astronomers handled real telescopes to guide us home. Down below we were awed by the microtonal musings of Amanda Cole and her trio of glass harmonicas and joined Hossein Ghaemi and his troupe as they ventured their way through the Museum.

We took a trip in the Space Elevator and prepared for a night of cosmology, costumes and custom cocktails and found out that space really is the final frontier.

Emma Price 22 February 2013

ART (BAR) IS FOR LOVERS.

We puckered up as Emma Price (The Kingpins) presented a night of heavy petting for music, museum and art lovers alike. Roving performance, video installations and random acts of desire turned the MCA into a temple of love.

Scott Redford, The Kingpins, and Sam Doctor explored the rituals of sex and space. David McDiarmid, Liz Ham, Richard Goodwin, Doctor Lisa Cooper and Daniel Mudie Cunningham flirted with themes of intimacy and desire.

We witnessed passionate performances by Betty Grumble, Sarah Coconis, Kieran Bryant, Beth Dillon and Nick Fox, plus a two-part love story lecture presented by Craig Judd.

A make out, make up or break up live set was delivered by concrete jungle beat queens TWINCEST, plus La Mancha Negra’s Tsunami swamp heartbreak blues and Punk F*ck love by Glory Hole.

Eternal honeymooners, heavy metal serenades, flesh and thorns and clown-on-punk live action happened as Stephen Allkins spun four hours of heart-stopping beats.
And there was a kissing booth (of sorts).

Emma Price proved that there IS such a thing as love at first sight.

Images: The incredible, friendly and ever professional Catherine McElhone

Brook Andrew January 2013

We cast off 2013 with MCA ARTBAR curated by Brook Andrew.

Guests were socially challenged and experienced an evening of activity that was available only to select members of Brook’s new world order.

With priority zones, restricted access, performances by Constantina Bush, George Tillianakis and Liam Benson, plus pole dancing magic by Matthew Shields; no class or group remained untouched. Guests Immersed themselves in Brook’s projections and iconic views of Sydney Harbour while DJs Leo Tanoi and Perfect Snatch took hold of the Sculpture Terrace.

Elated, alienated and celebrated guests explored themes of race and culture through a unique point of view, and embraced these differences on the eve of Australia Day.

It was Hunger Games crossed with Apocalypto as guests were questioned on whether they belong in the upper echelons or the proletariats ready to rise in revolt?

Images: Catherine McElhone

Jon Campbell November 2012

The last MCA ARTBAR of the year was aptly titled ‘Shit Yeah — Jon Campbell rocks the MCA’. Melbourne based Campbell used satire, a wry Australian vernacular and plain old rock’n’roll to serenade Sydneysiders into summer.

Featuring sounds on the terrace by DJ duo ‘Dads with Earrings’, acoustic performances, lectures by the artist and friends, gallery tours with a twist and an elevator performance by Peter Oxley of 80’s pop-rock sensation ‘The Sunnyboys’ we surely ended the year with a bang.

Jon exhibited at MCA in 2009 and returned in 2012 to Sydney specifically forARTBAR, to which we said ‘Shit Yeah’.

Images: Catherine McElhone

Nell October 2012

Artist Nell took us to grave new heights with October’s MCA ARTBAR which coincided with Halloween, loosely themed ‘Dead or Alive’.
In domestic inspired boudoirs, private view areas, lectures on Nose to Tail consumption, plenty of live music from White Knuckle Fever and some of The Mumps and a dance lesson on the sculpture terrace by Swingin’ Kitten, Nell wove a cobweb of influences from fashion to free-association, intimacy to impermanence, ethics to excitement and karma to craziness into her uniquely chilling and spine tingling effigy to life ‘n’ death. T-Shirts made with label ‘Romance Was Born’ were worn by our very own Visitor Services Officers and sold through the MCA Store.

Richards Larter’s racy work played in a sealed off room, Kylie Kwong introduced and later wrapped a pig in a dissection lecture Q & A and the MCA was filled with ghosts, Dracula, a giant fly and party monsters. Even a meat raffle – but not as you know it.

Images: Catherine McElhone

Daniel Boyd September 2012

September was dubbed the Up in Smoke Tour by artist Daniel Boyd.
Daniel took us on a musical and informative journey into a modern-day interpretation of the enlightenment era, with DJs Captain Franco and Elston and, later in the evening, The Canyons playing a retrospective sound odyssey that excited all.

With video works by Daniel projected across the sculpture terrace surfaces, a room of Daniels re-imagining of film Les statues meurent aussi a discussion titled 'When I die bury me inside the Gucci store, I don’t want to end up in a Museum’ with the artist and Djon Mundine, Matt Poll and John von Sturmer, performance in the gallery by Tony Albert working with collection artist Vernon Ah Kee to transform his portraits, decommissioned skull boxes from the Natural History Museum London, Tracey Moffatt’s Other immersing guests in the seminar room and DJ set by friends of the artist Canyons.

Images: James Brown

Shaun Gladwell August 2012

From Sydney to London, and back for a short time only, guests joined Shaun Gladwell in his digital and retrospective performance landscapes on August 31 2012.
Gladwell took charge of the wheel and delivered a special high octane edition ARTBAR, making unique changes to the MCA Collection galleries.

Lectures in 'How to Drop Freud into a Conversation at an Opening’, finger boarding workshops, interceptors from cult film Mad Max, an appearance from recently departed rapper MCA, guards patrolling crowds and gallery work, bikes in the gallery spaces, DJ sets by Slow Blow and live music from Toy Death, the night was well and truly stimulating.

Taking over the entire wing the event included the opportunity to view the new selection of works in Volume One: MCA Collection on Level 2.

Images: Catherine McElhone

Jess Olivieri July 2012

Nodding cheekily to the 18th Biennale of Sydney: all our relations, Jess Olivieri invited guests to join her and her artistic ‘relatives’ on Friday 27 July 2012.

Showcasing new work by Wrong Solo and featuring a karaoke massage there was plenty of touching family moments to share throughout the night.

Sarah Rodigari appeared through her totemic representative goat, David Capra delighted in a white ‘onesie’-inspired outfit and kicked off the night with an oversized hello, accompanied by the sounds of the Aurora Australia Choir singing Hello to arriving patrons.

Guests brought clothes that required a mend, as Jess’ Mum stepped into Lee Mingwei’s shoes for the night. She bonded through the act of mending and conversation.
The event took over the entire wing and included the opportunity to view the Biennale spaces on Levels 1 and 3.

Images: David Cheng

Eddie Sharp June 2012

Guests were invited to step into Eddie Sharp’s ARTBAR (and mind) on Friday 29 June.
They discovered the inspirations of Eddie and his collaborators as they combined talents and turned the MCA into their own lurid video candy land.

David Harris AKA DJ Toecutter came all the way from Pony Land to manipulate sound into something close to dance music (which even had our director Liz Ann dancing) and, there were projections exploring vomit in cinema, John Kilduff’s multi-tasking master class streamed live from Los Angeles from his treadmill, pinball pianolas, blue screen lounges VJ’d by Tully Arnot and DJ sets by artist Dara Gill. Lectures included Simon Hunt’s Doppelganger − 'Being Pauline Hanson’ about his rise to fame as Pauline Pantsdown and 60’s 3D cinema, with Eddie himself lecturing on the history of 3D.

Plus, guests had the opportunity to be among the first to enjoy the 18th Biennale of Sydney on Levels 1 and 3 just days after it opened at the MCA.

Images: Catherine McElhone

Justene Williams May 2012

Taking over the last Friday of each month, we prepared to offer a new gallery experience and inspire Sydney as the MCA ARTBAR − curated by artists was born.
Drawing inspiration from Volume One: MCA Collection, the first ARTBAR kicked off on 25 May 2012 with Sydney-based photographer and video artist Justene Williams, whose Crutch Dance (2011) television installation was on display in the MCA’s Level 1 South Gallery.
The ARTBAR launch was also held on the same day as Vivid Sydney’s opening night, so guests were among the first to experience this novel gathering and get the best view of Vivid’s light installations.

ARTBAR launched by taking the gallery experience and flipping it on its head through art, music, design and performance. Guests were invited to drink, dare, discover and be driven wild with artistic excitement. Each event was revealed as a unique and vastly different experience from the last and ARTBAR’s tagline was born − It’s art but not as you know it.

With an awesome line up of DJ’s − Charlie Chux (Abercrombie) Perfect Snatch (Gay Bash, Shameless) Touch Sensitive (Van She) Tyson Koh (Loose Joints FBI & Clambake) – no one left heavy hearted.

There was a poetic Sydney bridge, free hot shaves for all, a view of the Vivid light show which Justene worked on with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas for Vivid AND karaoke with consequences which streamed surreptitiously upstairs to screens on the dance floor.

It was an epic launch to the series and MCA and Audi began the journey with a sold out event and new and returning visitors of the MCA.

Images: Catherine McElhone