The exhibition Art Forged In Miscellany (AFIM) opened at the Parkes Shire Library on December 15 and finished on January 2.
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This exhibition with a difference, presented by the international art group Ub Ubbo Exchange, attracted a large audience and was officially opened by Mayor Ken Keith.
Local artist and curator, Sean James Cassidy drew a diverse group of artists together to work on this exciting project.
Much of the focus was on reinvention and recycling, not only of resources and materials but also of the artists themselves and their approach to art, challenging them to experiment and work outside their usual techniques.
Performance art took centre stage to begin proceedings, with Matt "Chichi" Cicchini’s expert playing of the Junk Yard Drum Kit, designed and constructed by Dustin Howearth and Sean James Cassidy.
Every part of this instrument was created from garbage, much of it fossicked from the Parkes Waste Facility.
To hear the unique sounds and amazing rhythms that were produced, prompted the audience to reconsider our throwaway culture and instead, put greater thought into how items could be reused to create things of beauty and worth.
Poetry was another of the art forms on display, with works reflecting family and life experiences.
Many of these works were spoken and accompanied by original music and animation.
James Cassidy’s, The Blacksmith, was a poignant story of a hardworking life, well lived.
Jason Nacho Murchie, in collaboration with several musicians, produced a haunting accompaniment, premiered at the opening.
Kerrie Peden’s poem Radio Telescope, was animated by Tanjim Islam (White Rabbit, Netflix) and Sean James Cassidy to encapsulate the essence of the role this facility has played for over fifty years.
Another animated poem “Blood Moon” was an attempt to describe the wonder of an event we are sometimes lucky enough to witness in our night sky.
A Jason Nacho Murchie and the Filipino art group Atonisla collaboration, in the form of a song and film clip "Undercurrents" was projected at the event.
Wiradjuri artist Scott Turnbull and Chilean/Australian artist Alvaro Valenzuela Mella created works made from soil for AFIM, these artworks were to last only the duration of the exhibition and are to corrode and crumble back to the earth.
Alvaro created his piece as performance art out side the libraries doors as the exhibition was being set up.
Miguel "FMGrande" Valenzuela (Alvaro's brother) created instillation out of old televisions, computers and video cameras.
Nathan Kopp (SBS, The World Game/World Cup) created printed digital art using images from the Parkes region.
Ub Ubbo would like to thank Parkes community for its support, they would also like to express a special thanks to Mark Field and Janice Cassidy for there support behind the scenes for AFIM.
Ub Ubbo Exchange plans to bring more exhibitions to Parkes in 2019.
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