Perth International Arts Festival
GPO Forrest Place
6 February – 2 March 2013
Perth
A big festival and a beautiful setting, PIAF gained use of the grand hall of the GPO building in central Perth. The room cool and awash with natural light, the dark wood of floor and wall panels worked well with the white paper and creamy translucency of the rice. The public setting ensures that people passing buy happen upon the art and are drawn in to see what it is about. Glass walled shop units subdivide the space allowing for reflections and fresh framing of the piles. a dressing room stocked with water and fruit keeps people going.
There are a little over 23 tons of rice in the room. The towering central mountain is the world’s population in 1770. From there ideas and stories spin off in a range of directions from Australian history, to food waste and industry, the beach the POMs being better than the Aussies at sport and so on. In a side room the cycle runs Anthony Hopkins – prisoners – weddings – prisoners – weddings – space – Michael Jackson – prisoners. A safe is blown open to reveal a billionaire and bankrobbers beside gold prospectors. And this is just the start of the three week run.
Credits
Performers from Birmingham: Christine Dugrenier, Lucy Nicholls, Gareth Nicholls, Jake Oldershaw, Jack Trow.
With help from: James Yarker
Performers from Perth: Adelaide Buchanan, Tony Slater, Sandra McKendrick, Alexa Taylor, Trish Wood.
Production Manager in Perth: Rebecca Baumann
General Manager: Charlotte Martin
Advisory Producer: Nick Sweeting