The Naomi Milgrom Foundation and MPavilion have unveiled highlights of the 2016 program that features more than 400 free public events with more than 300 collaborators, including 31 education and cultural organisations.
Designed by acclaimed Indian architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai and presented from 5 October 2016 to 18 February 2017, MPavilion 2016 will open as part of the Melbourne Festival and Confluence: Festival of India, and participate in events such as the new Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (Asia TOPA), Melbourne Music Week, and White Night Melbourne.
“Recognised internationally as one of the ten most inspirational installations in the world, MPavilion is a space for creativity and community connection and has become the new civic space for the whole of Melbourne,” said Naomi Milgrom AO. “The MPavilion 2016 program reflects the intuitive, collaborative and hand crafted influence of Bijoy Jain’s architecture.”
Opening the 2016 program is a free public MTalk event hosted by architect Peter Maddison with MPavilion creator Naomi Milgrom AO, and 2016 architect Bijoy Jain. Presented on Thursday 6 October, the trio will discuss MPavilion 2016’s ideas of cultural exchange and the collective construction process. This talk coincides with a special exhibition of Bijoy Jain’s design process at RMIT Gallery from 9 September to 22 October.
The 2016 program of events reflects the strong Indian/Australian connection influenced by architect Bijoy Jain and Studio Mumbai’s Indian heritage. Collaborating with the Festival of India, Australia India Institute and the Indian Consulate, the program will feature events, talks, music, dance and theatre performances from leading Indian musicians, puppeteers, magicians, academics and cultural influencers.
Hosted by Robyn Archer, The Art of Sport will explore Melbourne’s unique love of and the many similarities between sport and arts. Featuring MPavilion 2016 architect Bijoy Jain – who was once on the Indian swim team and swam the English Channel when he was just 17 years old, and artist David Pledger who played serious Australian Rules till he was 18, and was destined to play for Essendon.
Presented as part of the 2016 Melbourne Festival, MPavilion will host a week of events, talks, broadcasts and workshops from 17 October to 23 October in partnership with the inaugural Public Art Melbourne Biennial Lab which explores anew, the Queen Victoria Market through the lens of leading Australian artists.
To celebrate their 110-year anniversary, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will hold a series of three concerts at each site of the three MPavilions on 11 December. A special design/architecture self guided audio tour by Open House accompanies the concerts and will guide visitors between the three MPavilion sites starting at the Queen Victoria Gardens. Other musical highlights include a performance by the Australian Youth Orchestra on 7 October, a concert by the Australian National Academy of Music on 13 October and Australian String Quartet performances on 25 and 26 October.
The influence of the Bauhaus in Australia will be explored through a series of events and talks in November. Held in partnership with the Bauhaus in Australia Forum, Monash University and the University of Melbourne, German expert Dr Isabel Wünsche will join architects and academics from around Australia, while Penelope Seidler will be in conversation with Naomi Milgrom AO to discuss the work of legendary architect Harry Seidler.
The popular MMusic program of free shows, sets, workshops and aural experiences are presented in collaboration with Melbourne and international artists, DJs and experimenters including long-time MPavilion partners Chapter Music, along with fellow independent record labels Bedroom Suck Records and Smooch Records, as well as a mix of independent artists DJs and guest curators. An event to mark the full moon, the return of hugely successful free M*Sync brings together live music, dance and art with a heartbeat-syncing installation by Unconscious Collective.
Sound art organization, Liquid Architecture will continue their partnership with MPavilion and host a number of events through the season starting with International guest Anne James Chaton who will be creating a work through one-on-one meetings with members of the public over a week beginning on 24 October. Continuing from last season’s successful installation with artist Caitlin Franzman, the Tree-Telling installation will return to MPavilion this season for a second iteration where members of the public are invited to sit down with the artist for a tree-focused tarot reading.
Free MKids events and workshops bring together an array of local Melbourne artists, designers and creatives in a series of activities devoted to kids, as well as a collection of kid-friendly events that can be enjoyed with the whole family like afternoon music performances and multicultural activities, including a a week-long interactive installation in January with Polygot Theatre that will experiment with the relationship between sound and drawing.
Every evening at twilight, the pavilion structure will create its own Evening Ritual – a collaboration between the architect and lighting designer Ben Cobham of bluebottle and Philips technology.
The MPavilion program runs 5 October 2016 to 18 February 2017, For more information and additional program highlights, visit: www.mpavilion.org for details.
Image: MPavilion 2016 designed by Bijoy Jain and Studio Mumbai (supplied)