Capital Life: What's on in the Canberra arts scene from February 27, 2021
Melissa Beowulf's Cottage Room at M16 Artspace. Picture: Supplied
M16 exhibitions
M16 Artspace has four new shows. In Gallery 1 is Pantone 311 by Marsden Arts Group. The members have used the colour Pantone 311 C, a turquoise, to represent connection between the artworks of the group. In Gallery 2 is Framework of Injustice in which Melissa Beowulf recreates her prison room in an enclosed box within the gallery to convey the sense of isolation experienced by detainees and showcases objects she made during the 14 months she was in remand at the Alexander McConachie Centre, Symonston, before being acquitted. In Gallery 3, in celebration of International Women's Day, Angharad Dean's I Am Strong presents a series of solar plate etchings of a naked woman standing in poses. The works call for a halt to exploitation, to violence and to the idea that the only form of female beauty is young and slim. Finally, in the Chutespace, Kati Gorgenyi's Awash expresses her current experience of the world for the Chutespace Viral Series; she suggests that we keep cleansing and sanitising in an effort to reunite with each other, yet we feel insecure and disconnected, as if slipping away. 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, ACT. Open Wednesday to Friday, noon to 5pm, until March 14, 2021. m16artspace.com.au.
Ali Noble's Self Portrait (sculpture) with Sensual Cosmic (picture), 2020. Picture: Supplied
Supernatural Light Affinity
This exhibition proposes that abstraction, enigmatic symbolism and magical luminescence are legitimate agents for inspiring curiosity and wonder. Yvette Hamilton, Ali Noble, Lisa Sammut and Helen Shelley bring together photography, sculpture, painting, textiles and light projection to create works that consider their often unknowable inner and outer worlds. From the unconscious to deep space, "not knowing" is an enchanted terrain to be explored through various materials and idiosyncratic visual languages developed by each artist. Supernatural Light Affinity is on at ANCA Gallery, 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson, Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5pm, until March 14, 2021. anca.net.au.
ANU Classics Museum
Voluntary guides conduct monthly one-hour free tours of the ANU Classics Museum's collection of about 600 Ancient Greek and Roman antiquities. There is also an extensive coin collection and a scale model of Rome at the end of the second century. Tours are delivered on the second Friday of each month at 12.30pm. The museum is located in the AD Hope Building, Ellery Crescent, ANU. For more information and to register phone 0438 883 373.
The Miriam Lieberman Trio. Picture: Supplied
Street music
At The Street Theatre, the Miriam Lieberman Trio on Saturday, February 27 at 7.30pm blends West African and world music with pop. Caribe Havana Return is a combination of Cuban jazz, dance, chanting, storytelling and participation. It's on Sunday, February 28 at 4pm. www.thestreet.org.au
Parasite party
Last year, the darkly funny Korean film Parasite (MA, 132 minutes)became the first non-English language film to win best picture at the Oscars. A struggling family connive to gain employment with the wealthy Park family - but find more than they bargained for. The National Film and Sound Archive is celebrating Bong Joon-ho's film with a special screening. Come ready to walk the red carpet dressed in your best awards season glamour and have a glass of bubbles on arrival. Arc Cinema, Saturday, February 27 at 6pm. For bookings, see nfsa.gov.au.
Mervyn Bishop
The National Film and Sound Archive is celebrating Mervyn Bishop, one of Australia's most prolific and influential photographers, with a new exhibition opening on Friday, March 5, 2021. The images are drawn from the Art Gallery of New South Wales collection and the artist's private archive, and sound and moving imagery from the NFSA. Open 10am to 4pm every day. More information: nfsa.gov.au.