From June to September, free performance art is taking centre stage with Performances on the Quay, a series of evening programs jointly presented by the Sydney Opera House and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), supported by the NSW Government’s Culture Up Late initiative.
Using the Opera House and MCA Australia as their stage, five contemporary Australian artists will present artistic interpretations of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the climate crisis, and the exhilarating and uniting spirit of street dance.
“More than ever, the world around us is rich with questions that art can help us make sense of. These works respond to the physical site and our contemporary world by using movement, music and the spoken word to challenge ideas and spark imaginations. I’m excited to see these innovative Australian artists reimagine the spaces around us in this fantastic collaboration with our neighbours at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia,” said Sydney Opera House Director of Programming, Fiona Winning.
“Performances on the Quay showcases new work from some of Australia’s most dynamic contemporary artists. This free public program provides a wonderful opportunity to engage a broad range of audiences with the stimulating medium of performance art. The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia is delighted to be collaborating with the Sydney Opera House on this program by a new generation of contemporary artists,” said Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Director, Curatorial & Digital Lara Strongman.
“The Culture Up Late program brings together two of the state’s leading cultural icons – The Sydney Opera House and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. I want to see our cultural institutions reach outside of their four walls to light up their precincts. This program does exactly that.” said NSW Minister for the Arts and Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, The Hon. John Graham MLC.
The line-up includes:
- Mia Salsjö’s The Bridge (Friday 23 June) – for one night only, an ensemble of 12 brass musicians will perform a score about the Sydney Harbour Bridge, visible in all its grandeur from the Opera House’s Western Broadwalk. Visitors will then journey to the MCA’s Sculpture Terrace to experience the performance with a different perspective of the Bridge where they can view Mia Salsjö’s score in The National 4: Australian Art Now, before an in-conversation with the artist. From 5:00pm on the Opera House Western Broadwalk. 5:45pm on the MCA’s Sculpture Terrace. Bookings are required for the in-conversation, book here.
- Latai Taumoepeau’s Ocean Island Mine (Friday 21 July) – in this meditative performance, audiences are invited to reflect on the climate crisis as they observe artist Latai Taumoepeau shovelling melting ice in a contemplation of the Pacific Island nations at the forefront of the climate emergency. From 5:00pm on the Opera House Forecourt.
- Lauren Brincat’s Tutti Presto fff (Friday 25 – Sunday 27 August) – oscillating between sound, performance and choreography, Lauren Brincat’s live sculpture returns to the iconic Opera House site as a layered, experimental, roving contemporary art project. This polyphonic piece pulses with the sound of temperatures rising! rising! rising! and the burning intensity of the momentary present. In collaboration with composer Alyx Denison and choreographer Charmene Yep, the sound from six drummers will accompany a silk score dance. From 5:30pm on the Opera House Podium.
- Jumaadi’s The sea is still a mystery (Friday 25 August) – this new shadow play by Indonesian visual artist Jumaadi invites audiences to contemplate the water and those whose journeys depend on it. Combining the Indonesian art of wayang – a traditional form of puppet theatre – with Javanese folklore, music and song, Jumaadi performs a stunning live show at the MCA for one night only, followed by an artist talk. From 6.30pm in the MCA Circular Quay foyer and 7.15pm in the MCA Lecture Theatre.