Sydney’s vibrant new dining and lifestyle precinct, Sydney Place, will host a month-long arts and culture festival in celebration of its official opening, in partnership with Sydney Fringe Festival produced by The Runaway Collective. From 1 September, Sydney Place will come alive with a series of interactive art installations and retailer activations, and on 9 September for one-night-only, they’ll host an exhilarating evening of live entertainment, theatre, immersive art and delicious food and drink offerings at the Sydney Fringe Block Party.
Throughout the month of September, Sydney Place will be transformed into a living gallery with a captivating occupation by a diverse and renowned group of renowned visual artists. The artists, including internationally-acclaimed James Gulliver Hancock, will activate Sydney Place with art installations in shop fronts, offices, restaurants and walkways, which will give patrons the opportunity to imagine, explore and discover.
This vibrant display will feature a combination of traditional art forms and new interactive AI technology, allowing passers-by to engage in the process of AI-generated art by simply interacting with an immersive digital touch screen. Visitors will have an experience that responds to every touch and movement of the user, generating unique digital art for each interaction. Audience participation is central to the meaning of the work, inviting visitors to engage with the concept of self and place.
As part of Sydney Place’s living gallery, an Art Walk will be activated throughout the precinct, encompassing a large-scale mural by Indigenous artist David Craigg, a staircase activation, and an immersive series of murals by James Gulliver Hancock that span throughout The Bridge and Sydney Place retailers. Projections, light and AI generated technology will bring the precinct to life, including a Body Mapping experience that uses AI technology to assess the quantity of joy the user possesses, responding with an interplay of light and fairy dust to energise the user.
Visitors will also encounter a suspicious ‘DO NOT PRESS’ Big Red Button installation that invites the curious to uncover the unexpected that awaits. Two art vending machines will be situated throughout the precinct, providing opportunity for visitors to take home a piece by their favorite artist. All profits raised from the art vending machines will be donated to a selection of Art Aid charities.
On 9 September, Sydney Place will come alive with an exhilarating celebration of art, music, and culture during the Sydney Fringe Block Party event, marking the highlight of the month-long festival. Sydney’s finest visual and performing artists will inhabit the precinct, with multiple stages, DJ’s and jaw-dropping live performances from the world of circus, cabaret and drag, extending from day to night. Sydney’s favourite disco doof, Poof Doof, will pop up with their Pride Patrol truck featuring entertainment including DJ’s Victoria Anthony, Danni Issues and Charlie Villas, and drag performances by Faux Fur, Karna Ford and Kalin Klien, among many others. Whilst enjoying the entertainment, visitors can taste delicious food and beverages from Sydney Place’s wide selection of retailers offering curated menus for the festival, including Dopa by Devon, Burger Point, ToastieSmith and more.
Marnie Devereux, Lendlease Head of Retail Development, says: ‘This exciting partnership with Sydney Fringe Festival and The Runaway Collective marks the official opening of Sydney Place as a new day-to-night destination for cult-favourite food, community connection and rich culture.’
Sydney Place
‘This month-long celebration will not only showcase the talent of diverse local artists, but will allow for those who work at or visit Sydney Place to further immerse themselves in the vibrancy of the precinct with interactive art installations, entertainment and bespoke offers from the newly opened retailers that are set to compliment the entire experience.’
Sydney Place, Sydney’s newest lifestyle, office and dining precinct, is home to more than 15 exciting food and beverage operators including Lode Pies, Malay Chinese Noodle House and Joel Best’s newly opened Japanese whisky bar, Bar Besuto. Maurice Terzini’s reincarnation of the iconic Jacksons on George will join the precinct in September, along with a number of other retailers.
Sydney Fringe Art Occupation is a month-long free event, held from 1-30 September 2023 at Sydney Place, 180 George St, Sydney. For more information, please visit www.sydneyplace.com
https://www.sydneyplace.com/news/sydney-fringe-art-occupation-block-party-2023/
