the melbourne review - february issue 2014

REVIEWTHE MElbouRnE

Issue 28 February 2014 melbournerevIew.com.au

United by

StyleLisa Gorman,

Romance Was Born and Dulux team up

for an exciting design, colour and fashion collaboration, set to

be a highlight of VAMFF

20

Hot Rod HeavenDave Graney visits the annual Australia Day weekend

hot rod show in Carlton

tHe GoveRnment InspectoRTheatre wunderkind Simon Stone celebrates the art of theatre with

his new play, which will open Malthouse Theatre’s 2014 season

cRaft BRewsThe rise of Australian craft beers is celebrated with a feature on some of this country’s finest artisan brews

14 24 38

4 The Melbourne review February 2014

WELCOME facebook.com/TheMelbourneReview twitter.com/MelbReviewISSUE 28

INSIDE

06

29

10

44

22

24CoCk

The Melbourne Theatre Company’s latest play from Mike bartlett, with music by Missy higgins, deals with one young man trying to find his place in society via a homo-hetero love triangle.

JaSon SmIthThe heide Museum of Modern Art’s Ceo and

Director is this month’s profile subject

ProJEct 14Anna Pappas Gallery’s annual group exhibition

asks questions of the universe - and art

Urban Paradoxwhen it comes to Fishermans bend it might

be best to not over plan the district

WomEn In dESIgnFourteen of Melbourne’s leading female

designers come together for this group exhibition

anam’S 2014 oPEnErComposer, conductor and musician brett Dean

returns to AnAM to open its 2014 season

Profile 06

Finance 08

Politics 09

business 10

Travel 11

health 12

Columnists 14

books 16

Performing Arts 22

visual Arts 29

Food.wine.Coffee 32

ForM 43rEvIEWTHE MELBOUrNE

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The Melbourne review February 2014 5Melbournereview.CoM.Au

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6 THE MELBOURNE REVIEW FEBRUARY 2014

PROFILE

In August 1993, Jason Smith applied for an assistant curator position at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). He was interviewed by then director,

James Mollison, one of the most infl uential fi gures in Australian art. During the interview, however, Smith found himself at odds with the formidable Mollison, and as expected, he did not get the job. But several days later, there was a phone call, a dinner party invite, and a surprising offer. “James said ‘you need to come and work with me’,” Smith says, “so I was employed as his curatorial assistant.” Smith pauses, and then adds: “As my heart soared, it simultaneously sank because I knew I would be signing up for some hard yards. But James was the making of me, and I carry his standards to this day.”

Fast forward to 2014. Smith has been CEO and Director of the Heide Museum of Modern Art since June 2008. Purchased in 1934 by art patrons John and Sunday Reed, the site became the home of various modernist painters who produced many of their most famous works there. Artists such as Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, John Perceval and Danila Vassilieff would live or work at Heide – their personal and professional lives often entwined.

French émigrés, Georges and Mirka Mora became close friends with the Reeds soon after they arrived in Australia in the early 1950s. The Reeds were the fi rst collectors of Mirka’s work. “They would be very happy that you are here,” she once told Smith as they walked through the Heide gardens, arm in arm. “They would have loved you.” It was an important moment for Smith. “Mirka was one of the Reeds’ closest friends,” he says. “If Mirka didn’t think they would be happy, she would have told me… Mirka is such a vital part of Heide.”

Established in 1981, the museum and park was only open for a few weeks when John and Sunday Reed died within a fortnight of each other. Today, the 15-acre landscaped property features a sculpture park (with works by artists including Rick Amor, Inge King and Anish Kapoor) and three distinct gallery spaces: the original farmhouse (known as Heide I, with its stunning Mirka Mora-painted windows), the David McGlashan-designed modernist building, Heide II (commissioned in 1963 as a gallery ‘to be lived in’) and fi nally, Heide III,

CEO & Director, Heide Museum of Modern Art

BY WENDY CAVENETT

JASON SMITH

its black titanium zinc exterior an impressive contrast to the white Mt Gambier limestone of Heide II. There’s also the Sidney Myer Education Centre, a valuable ‘art cabin’ for educators and students, and fi nally, the glass-encased Café Vue, which opened in 2009.

“It’s the very special qualities of occupying this landscape that John and Sunday Reed inhabited and constructed,” Smith says of the Heide legacy. “It’s the Reeds’ commitment to contemporary art, to innovation and radical gestures, to politics, to humanism and architecture – these were things they were really passionate about, and it is our motivating force, a legacy we honour.”

Smith says the organisation, with the highly respected Linda Michaels as deputy director

and senior curator, has strong artistic direction, with a series of exhibitions planned to celebrate the fact that 2014 marks 80 years since John and Sunday Reed purchased Heide. Planned are exhibitions focusing on the story as well as the art. These include From the home of Mirka Mora (with treasures from the artist’s home), Being Human: The graphic work of George Baldessin, and Arthur Boyd: Brides. There’s also We are the Dead Men: Albert Tucker’s War, and performance-based contemporary art projects such as Lehte, a site-specific dance piece featuring piano and archival fi lm responding to the architecture of Heide II. It’s an exciting program.

The day we meet, it’s 36 degrees in Melbourne, and the grounds of Heide seem somehow more alive in the bright sunlight

and stifl ing heat. In the distance, couples are strolling around the grounds, and friends are eating a picnic brunch in the shade of a big old oak tree. Looking around, it’s not diffi cult to imagine Sunday tending to what is now lovingly referred to as Heide’s living museum.

Soon, a relaxed Smith, dressed in black, appears from behind the great sliding glass door of Heide III. We shake hands: Smith is immediately engaging. He says he likes working with artists and remains fascinated with the “primary act of making”. For Smith, there has always been an unanswerable question: “What is the mysterious drive that propels artists to give us external realities in either two-dimensional or three-dimensional form? It’s a wonderfully unanswerable question,” he says. “It’s the mystery of what drives people to be artists.”

Born in Frankston, Victoria in 1966, Smith – the eldest of six children – grew up helping his mother care for his brothers and sisters. “She liked my fastidiousness,” he says laughing. “I would come home from school and before I could even think about watching TV, I had to clean the living room of all the toys!” We both laugh. Aesthetics were important to you even then, I offer. “Yes, defi nitely,” he says. “My friends say, ‘that explains everything!’”

The family moved from Victoria to Sydney and finally settled in Canberra in the late 1970s. Smith’s father, a navy man and then a public servant, was incredibly hard working. Smith’s mother, a “very practically driven, loving, no-nonsense” individual, led the household and managed to raise six incredibly different, independent children who had great educations, and were encouraged to follow their dreams and ambitions. There wasn’t much money, Smith says, but the children always had what they needed.

This included knowing their familial home – the small, country town of Junee, which is located in the Riverina region in New South Wales. Smith’s parents were born there – “my mother is one of eight children, my father was one of 10 children.” Later Smith admits he has 56 fi rst cousins. From the age of seven, he spent time with his cousins and grandparents during school holidays. “It instilled in me a great love of my family’s stomping ground,” he says, “and with a great love for my huge, extended family.” Then he adds in his relaxed, gentle way: “I have an enormous commitment to the concept of family and maintaining links and communications.”

In the late 1980s, Smith graduated from the Australian National University School of Art (BA, Visual Art) after studying under the great printmaker, Jörg Schmeisser, and Canberra-based artist, Mandy Martin. As a curator and now director, Smith believes his relationships with artists continue to be informed by his experiences in art school. He says he knows what it is like to be in that “strange space of the studio making work where time is different”, and where “your sense of

and stifl ing heat. In the distance, couples are

THE MELBOURNE REVIEW FEBRUARY 2014 7MELBOURNEREVIEW.COM.AU

PROFILE

For the full program of 2014 exhibitions,

visit: heide.com.au

resolution is fundamentally changed”. It also gives him a practical language to talk about materials and processes rather than using a purely art historical or academic approach. Again he mentions the “mysterious” drive of the artist, which he continues to be “admiring of and mystifi ed by”, and being mystifi ed, he adds, keeps him going back.

He soon moved to Melbourne, working various jobs and completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies in 1992, and, as they say, the rest is history. He stayed at the NGV for 14 years, working with three directors (Mollison, Timothy Potts, and Gerard Vaughan) and curating 35 exhibitions – including Louise Bourgeois in 1995, the Peter Booth survey, HUMAN | NATURE, Howard Arkley’s retrospective, and the 2005 Gwyn Hanssen Piggot exhibition. “I had extraordinary experiences working with some of my great art historical heroes,” he says, “But it was tough. The NGV is a big machine, and I started there in my late 20s, so I did a lot of maturing.”

At Heide, Smith works closely with a strong curatorial team and he has realised several objectives: to feature international content (he mentions the highly successful and beautifully curated Louise Bourgeois: Late Works), while seeking senior Australian artists who need to be “brought out from the shadows” (like Gunter Christmann). There’s also a renewed focus

on the Heide Collection (“it’s just on 2,500 objects”), as well as Australian artists with signifi cant international reputations (Callum Morton: In Memoriam, 2011). Smith says he’s always looking for “new gestures in contemporary practice” and believes that it’s important for art history and for the record to “go out on a limb” with some exhibitions knowing that they might not be very popular.

Smith says he remains committed to his work in public art museums, while quietly pursuing his own art practice. He believes you should never underestimate the audience and their degrees of sophistication. He’s thought this from the earliest phase of his career. He also believes that people love new ideas, even if they don’t end up agreeing with the position put forward.

“We want people coming back to Heide,” he concludes. “We don’t want people just walking in and walking out – we want transformation. As subtle as it might be, that’s what we want.”

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FINANCE

The Abbott government’s chances of

re-election in 2016 will be driven by

the budget next year.

On 12 May 2015, Treasurer Joe

Hockey will deliver his second budget and in

doing so, he will announce that the budget is

back on track, the Labor mess has been cleaned

up and that for 2016-17 and beyond, there will

be budget surpluses.

The 2016-17 surplus will be the result of the

unwinding of the disingenuous forecasts and

spending distortions that were contained in

Mr Hockey’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal

Outlook document, released in December 2013,

plus some fiscal policy tightening that will start

with this year’s budget on May 13.

In delivering the surplus in next year’s

budget, Mr Hockey will have created the

political calling card for the Coalition’s 2016

election campaign. It will use the budget

surplus as its self-assessed benchmark of

competent economic management. It will be

an oft-repeated catch phrase from the Coalition

between May 2015 and whenever the election

is held in the latter part of 2016 that “we got

the budget back in the black and that the long

hard task of paying off Labor’s debt has begun”,

or words to that effect.

It is likely to be a winning strategy, given

the poor understanding of economic matters

in much of the electorate.

The move to a budget surplus will be a

very straightforward process. It will make

Mr Hockey look like a fiscal hero, even if the

surpluses he will be trumpeting owe little to

his fundamental policy prowess and more to

political trickery.

in the move to a budget surplus, how much is Joe hockey’s prowess as Treasurer and how much is trickery?

by Stephen KouKoulaS

RabbiT ouT of a HaT

» Stephen Koukoulas is Managing Director

of Market economics.

marketeconomics.com.au

The current starting point for the 2016-17

budget bottom line presented in last month’s

MYEFO is a budget deficit of $17.7 billion. This

seems a large amount but it is just 1 percent

of GDP.

The first step in moving from a $17 billion deficit to a surplus number is the reversal of

some of the smoke, mirrors and accounting

measures presented in the MYEFO.

One important step will be the payment of

dividends from the Reserve Bank of Australia

to the government as it gives back part of the $8.8 billion that Mr Hockey unnecessarily gave

the Bank this year. Further, with the Australian

dollar low and interest rates rising, the RBA

has more than enough money in reserves that

a strong lift in its profits will see it start to give

some of the excess cash back. If history is any

guide, the RBA dividend in 2016-17 should be

around $4 to $5 billion. That’s a nice instalment

on the road to surplus.

Another critical element will be the fact that

MYEFO presented an unrealistically down

beat view of the economy over the three years

to 2016-17 which in budgeting terms slices

about $10 billion from the budget bottom line

in 2016-17 alone.

The level of nominal GDP will be higher,

inflation will be higher and the unemployment

rate lower than the MYEFO projections, all of

which means that even a do-nothing policy

approach will see the government pocket at

least $10 billion. A stronger upswing will of

course mean even more revenue.

Next year, when Treasury plugs in an even

slight upgrade to the forecasts based on stronger

hard data for the economy and the forecasts for

2016-17 are fine-tuned, the budget spreadsheet

will be at least $10 billion better off than the

numbers presented in the 2013 MYEFO.

Such is the petty nature of the budget

problem that on these two issues alone, the

budget deficit for 2016-17 is all but gone.

Then of course there are the policy decisions

that will be taken between now and May 2015, most of which are likely to involve cuts to

spending and measures to raise revenue. If the

government tightens fiscal policy by even 0.5

percent of GDP (which is small beer in the scheme

of budgeting), there will be an extra $8 billion

or so for the bottom line which means a surplus

of at least $5 billion. A tougher fiscal stance and

the surplus could be near $10 billion.

While there are many risks to economic

forecasts and anticipating election issues, the

stars are aligning for a quick and quite dramatic

return to budget surplus.

It is important to note that this profile will parlay into the forward estimates so that for

every year in the so-called out years through

to 2025-26, there will be budget surpluses

and a profile where net government debt is

eliminated.

Mr Hockey knows this good news awaits

him, but he will continue to play it tough, at

least until the start of 2015.

For the budget in three months’ time,

Treasury is likely to err on the downside in

terms of its economic forecasts and we will

see some significant fiscal tightening, but not

enough to return to surplus in 2016-17.

That rabbit out of the hat is for next year’s

budget.

the move to a budget surplus will be a very

straightforward process. It will make Mr hockey look like a fiscal hero, even if the surpluses he will be trumpeting owe little to his fundamental policy prowess and more to

political trickery.”


POLITICS

Many, many years ago, before I became

an MP, I began my diplomatic career

as a junior diplomat at the Australian

Embassy to the EU. I was given the interesting

job of covering the European Parliament for the

Embassy. No-one else thought it important but I

loved the job. Politics was in my blood and I relished

travelling monthly to Strasbourg, the seat of the

parliament, to meet MEPs as they’re called and

report to Canberra on anything I thought relevant.

In those days the European Parliament was

made up of national MPs from the member states

but in 1979 there was an exciting development:

there were direct elections to the parliament. The

European public en masse were able to choose

their MEPs. Our Speaker, Billy Snedden, came

to the opening of the parliament and presented

its new president with a gavel.

As the years have passed, the European

Parliament has acquired the power to control

the European Union’s budget which is a sizeable

$300 billion or so every year. That makes the

BY ALEXANDER DOWNER

LETTER FROM EUROPE

parliament a serious institution and as its powers

have expanded so its signifi cance to the success

of the European Union continues to grow.

That’s why the European parliamentary

elections in May are important. Historically,

these elections have followed the standard

format of elections in most modern Western

countries: the centre left and the centre right

take the lion’s share of the seats leaving a small

handful for extreme parties of the left and right

like the Greens, Communists and neo-fascists.

This time, things are looking different. The

European public is becoming cynical about the EU

and particular its single currency, the euro. Although

things aren’t as bad as they were a year ago, the euro

is still in crisis and European economic growth is

at near stagnation. And above all, unemployment

in the EU is close to historic highs.

It might be unfair to blame all this on the EU

itself. After all, it’s the profl igacy of the member states more than anything which has caused

the budget crises which in turn have threatened

the euro. But whatever the real causes of the

European economic crisis, the public has turned

right off the concept of European integration.

This sentiment could lead to a sizeable

proportion of the seats in the European

Parliament being won by anti-EU parties of

both the left and right. In the UK, polls suggest

that the anti-EU UK Independence Party is

actually ahead of the governing Conservative

Party as anti-EU Conservative voters desert

their traditional political home to express their

hostility to Britain’s membership of the EU.

There are similar movements in other EU

countries, most significantly the right wing

National Front in France led by Marine Le Pen. At

the moment, the National Front is polling about

24 percent of the vote while in the Netherlands

the like-minded party of the controversial Geert

Wilders is running close to 20 percent.

Late last year, Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders

announced a new Europe-wide coalition called

the European Alliance for Freedom. This intends

to bring together most if not all of the right wing

anti EU parties in the European Parliament.

So why do we care about all of this? Well, the

EU collectively is the largest single economic

entity on earth, bigger than the United States’

economy. If it starts to fall apart, that will have

signifi cant implications for our exports and

investment into Australia. In a way, what could

be worse would be the turmoil a disintegrating

EU would cause on world fi nancial markets.

Given the degree of integration which has

occurred in Europe already, the unravelling

of the EU would be more than an economic

crisis: it would generate signifi cant political

strains in Europe. To say, as some do, that

it could lead to wars is silly talk but it could

certainly drive European nations apart, driven

by re-emerging nationalism.

Well, don’t worry. I don’t predict this is going to happen. The new European Parliament will have a

minority of anti-EU nationalists but their inevitable

obstructionism and the forging of opportunistic

alliances with anti-EU far left parties could cause

the parliament to be a more diffi cult institution for

the pro-EU institutions and politicians.

Established EU politicians should be careful, all the same. The European model is suffering

from two problems. First, it’s hard to make a

single currency work in the medium term for

as long as the fi scal and economic policies of its

member states are not integrated. But to force one

tax regime and one fi scal regime on all members

of the euro would be deeply unpopular with

voters. That’s quite a dilemma. And secondly,

the EU social model of ever-growing entitlements

is unsustainable. Already the budgets of several

EU member states have collapsed and others

are reaching troubling levels of indebtedness.

But you know how popular cuts are!

So the way ahead for Europe is for centre right

and centre left politicians to take unpopular

decisions. And that will strengthen the

extremists. So there should be no complacency

about the European elections in May.

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BUSINESS

When the Victorian government

announced that Fishermans Bend

would be opened up to increased

development as part of the vision

for a ‘Grand CBD’, there was much gnashing of

teeth amongst Melbourne’s urban enthusiasts.

The primary concern was that Fishermans Bend

would become ‘another Docklands’.

‘Plan it properly’ was the mantra. However,

‘properly’ planning the area was not actually

the problem with the Docklands; counter-

intuitively, over-planning it was.

In the modern era in Western cities we don’t

like anything that looks a bit messy, and our

governments have a difficult time turning

a blind eye to anything deemed unseemly.

‘Think of the children’ tabloid hysterics permeate the psyche of all our decision makers.

Loosening control is not considered an option.

Governments desire enticing, vibrant and

unique areas to make a city attractive, but fear

how they actually are created.

Broadly there are two types of creators that

a city requires. There are the macro-creators

who are the developers, large companies and

governments who produce buildings and

infrastructure and mass employment; the

creators who deal in large scale.

Then there are the micro-creators. Those

who create life, vibrancy, community. They

are the artists and artisans from across the

spectrum, the event organisers and facilitators,

the small business owners of exotic wares,

small-scale entrepreneurs and the hotch-potch

of chancers who inhabit the edges of society.

There is a natural suspicion between the

two, but they are both essential to each other,

and to a city’s success. Unfortunately, our

modern liberal/conservative philosophical

alliance (which I attribute to both major parties) has the impulse to both create and

stifl e simultaneously. It has fused one half of

liberal creation – the macro – with conservative

distrust of the micro. It was this, combined

BY GRANT WYETH

URBAN PARADOX

» Grant Wyeth is a Melbourne-based writer.

@grantwyeth

with the progressive and bureaucratic impulse

of excessive administration, that gave birth to

the Docklands as its inanimate bastard child.

For Fishermans Bend to be a success this

Coalition of the Commonplace needs to be

demolished. The dynamic and diverse CBD

and inner suburbs emerged in eras with a less

omnipresent government. As diffi cult as it is for

progressives to accept in the current big vs small

government populist narrative, vibrancy cannot

be imposed. It is spontaneous, unadministered

– and maybe even a little dangerous. There is

no such thing as government-sponsored cool.

Progressive good intentions and conservative

fear are both its enemies.

There’s an odd tension that has arisen in our

culture where those who would be considered

micro-creators who require freedom and

latitude, gravitate towards parties like The

Greens, whose rhetoric may support their values, but whose methodologies would restrict

their abilities. It’s an amusing modern irony

that the micro-management of progressives

creates the sterility that conservatives don’t

feel threatened by.

However, one area where the government’s hands are necessary and creative is with

public transport. The most essential infl uence

government can have to an area’s vitality is

access. If the government is serious about their

‘Grand CBD’ vision, they need to accompany

it with a grand transport vision.

Fishermans Bend requires a Docklands Loop.

From Yarraville or Spotswood across the river,

with two or three stations in the Fishermans

Bend, and into Southern Cross. Or linking up to

the potential Melbourne Metro 2 fl oated in the

recent Plan Melbourne study. This circular, or

multiple entry access is essential to the success

of the area.

Without this transport Fishermans Bend

risks becoming little more than a suburban

offi ce park. The young and dynamic micro-

creators need efficient and direct public

transport connections to create the street-level,

foot-friendly vibrancy that will enhance the

area’s cultural charm.

The over-planning of the Docklands,

through this Liberal/Conservative prism,

assumed that by simply enticing in major companies the area would becoming alluring.

Attracting major companies in order to provide

mass employment is important. But part of

that attraction comes from the city’s social

capital. Suspicion of the organic way that an

interesting and engaging culture is created

made the Docklands’ development backwards;

and characterless as a result.

What the area needs is for the government to relax its eyes and fi ngers. Roll back the

entanglement of permits and provisos that

predominantly restrict the creative abilities

of the less fi nancially secure micro-creators,

and focus its morality detector towards real

harm, not subjective distaste. There needs to

be some trust and faith shown in the public

to interact and create with each other without

this overbearing combination of conservative

judgement and progressive condescension.

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The Melbourne review February 2014 11Melbournereview.coM.au

TRAVEL

Dubai never interested me as a travel

destination but the desert oasis of

building sites, mammoth towers,

mega malls and high-end fashion

is discovering (or more correctly discovering

how to promote) its culture through new

arts precincts, food tours and Emirati

culture programs. The regional port rapidly

evolved into a city some 40 years ago and the

cosmopolitan metropolis is one of the world’s

major flight stopovers. The most populated

city in the United Arab Emirates is of more

interest than just a brief overnight layover as

it is now a destination worth exploring and is

growing into its title as the centre of the arts

in the UAE.

with its reputation as the las vegas of the Middle east minus the sin, it’s refreshing to discover there’s more to Dubai than shopping and a quick escalator ride up the world’s tallest building.

by DaviD Knight

Discovering Dubai

» The writer was a guest of emirates

and Dubai Tourism.

definitelydubai.com

emirates.com.au

The key tourist attractions are still worth a

visit – the shopping (that includes the must-

visit world’s largest mall, The Dubai Mall

with its ice rink and aquarium) is brilliant,

as is the rapid 163-floor escalator ride up the

world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa for

breathtaking views of the city. (The best time to

visit is when evening breaks to view the Dubai

Fountain water display.) Not everything worth

visiting in Dubai needs to come with a ‘world’s

biggest’ tag. Which brings us to the food.

Given that a lot of the Middle East’s great

food destinations are located in war-torn or

hard-to-visit countries and regions such as Iran,

Palestine and Lebanon, Frying Pan Adventures

boss and guide Arva believes the Old Town of

Dubai is the easiest way to experience authentic

Middle Eastern food. An enthusiastic, charming

and knowledgeable host, Arva grew up in the

Old Town and her five-hour walking tour

through her neighbourhood is more than just a

food fest – it is an all-senses degustation, as the

food blogger picks each destination’s (and there

are a heap of restaurants, corner shops and

cafés on this visit) highlight dish (or dishes) and

explains the history of each culinary choice as

you take in the colour and surrounds of Dubai’s

most authentic food district, which is off the

tourist map. Even if you’re in Dubai for just

a night – book this in. Along with traditional

Arabic food, new restaurants are popping up in

recently completed hotels such as the Conrad,

which includes celebrity chef brands such as

the Marco Pierre White Grill and the brand

new Latin American themed supper club Izel.

Recently announced as the 2020 World

Expo’s host city, Dubai’s Modern Art Museum

and Opera House is scheduled to open five years

before Dubai hosts the expo and will be the hub

of the city’s art and culture with galleries and

design studios joining the opera house and art

museum. But you don’t have to wait until 2015

to explore exciting arts precincts in Dubai. With

a Los Angeles-like creative district feel, Alserkal

Avenue is a warehouse strip home to more than

20 art galleries and design spaces, including

brilliant modern art galleries such as Grey Noise

and Showcase Gallery. With developments

underway, the district will become more

impressive when the expansion is completed

later this year and coupled with the Modern Art

Museum and Opera House precinct will make

a powerful arts double-header.

The ideal way to appreciate Emirati culture is by partaking in a traditional brunch at

the Sheikh Mohamed Centre for Cultural

Understanding. While you eat a beautiful

traditional brunch complete with Arabic

coffee, your host pleasantly guides you through Emirati and Islamic traditions with

grace and humour and is open to religious and

cultural questions (no matter how trivial or

uncomfortable) from her guests. Even if you

don’t agree with everything that the host says,

this is an eye-opening experience, which dispels

many visitors’ myths.

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HealtH

Are you constantly fatigued? Do

you experience muscle pain and

weakness, or are you finding it difficult to lose weight? Have you

been suffering from insomnia or experiencing

difficulties with concentrating? Have you

recently been diagnosed with bone disease or

musculoskeletal weakness? Feeling depressed?

Before you order another double shot latte

to pep up, or reach for a medication to treat

discomfort, a look at the potential causes may

be useful. Recent research shows that one-third

of Australians are currently – yes, right now –

deficient in vitamin D.

A vitamin D deficiency in the human body

can result in all of these symptoms, and many other chronic health problems, so it’s possible

low vitamin D levels could be your real issue.

The good news is treatment and further

prevention through supplementation, diet and

prudent sun exposure is one of the easiest and

healthiest health reforms we can make.

Australia’s long-held reputation as a nation

of sun lovers has been challenged in past

decades by the important need to protect the

skin from harmful rays and the dangers of skin

cancer. Public health researchers, in light of

recent research into the dangers of low vitamin

D levels, are now calling for a revisit of sensible

sun exposure, fearing that deficiency has the

potential to become a major public health issue.

A Deakin University Study in 2012 found that

42 percent of Australian women are vitamin

D deficient in the summer – and this figure

rose to 58 percent in winter – while for men,

the rate was 27 percent in summer and 35

percent in winter. The same study found the

prevalence of vitamin D deficiency increases

with age, especially for women, and that obese

or inactive people were twice as likely to be

deficient. Australians of non-European origin

were four to five times more likely to be vitamin

D deficient. Four percent of Australians are

severely deficient.

Who is most at risk of v

itamin D deficiency?Anyone can be susceptible to a lack of vitamin

D especially as we have become more conscious

of sun protection. However, low vitamin D

levels are more likely in the following groups:

the elderly, as the skin’s ability to synthesise

vitamin D decreases with age; indoor/office and

shift workers; people who through choice and/

or culture wear clothing that covers most of the

skin; dark skinned people as pigmentation can

make the skin less absorbing of vitamin D; fair

skinned people as they are more likely to avoid

the sun altogether; inactive people especially

those exercising less than 2.5 hours a week

outdoors; and people in areas of economic

hardship where dietary needs may be hard

to meet.

What is vitamin D?Vitamin D3 is also known as cholecalciferol. More than 90 percent of our vitamin D needs

are produced by the skin using ultra violet B (also

known as UVB). UVB cannot penetrate glass, so

there is no vitamin D benefit for sunlight exposure

through a window or glass enclosure. It is stored

in our fat cells and the body cannot produce too

much as it is self-regulating.

Vitamin D is measured in international

units (IU). Most supplements are 1000IU per

capsule, which is suitable for daily maintenance

doses, but may be insufficient in restoring

adequate levels in those who are deficient.

This vitamin has always been understood as

important in maintaining bone health via its

supportive function of maintaining calcium

and phosphate levels for bone formation.

Lesser known is vitamin D’s essential role in

supporting the function of the parathyroid

hormone that influences calcium metabolism.

It is also an essential vitamin in the body used

for blood clotting, inflammation reduction and

regulation of the immune system.

According to The Lancet, vitamin D is a low

toxicity vitamin that is very difficult to overdose

on unless very high serum vitamin D is already

present and there are pre-existing liver, kidney or

vascular problems. As a supplement, vitamin D

is readily available and inexpensive. It is present

in many foods and, in its purest and most natural

form – as direct sunlight – it is available at zero

cost and maximum convenience!

How do you know if you are deficient?

A blood test will give you an exact measure of your vitamin D levels. Low vitamin D status

can be viewed as a marker for ill health and

an alert for further investigation. Research

published in the Medical Observer suggests

that the inflammatory processes involved

The essential nature of vitamin D

by ProFessor avni sali

In seArch of sunshIne

in many diseases reduces vitamin D levels,

which would also explain why low vitamin D is

reported in a wide range of disorders. Vitamin

D therapy may therefore be a necessary part of

treatment plans for many illnesses.

Vitamin D for treatment and

management of chronic illnessMost people know of the importance of vitamin

D in preventing and treating osteoporosis but

did you know vitamin D is also necessary for

organ health and brain functioning? It prevents

damage in the brain and low vitamin D has been

linked to Alzheimer’s disease. New research has

also linked low vitamin D levels to depression

and schizophrenia.

Vitamin D has been found to reduce the

severity of asthma attacks and help in the

treatment of periodontal disease. It is a valuable

supplement in the management of diabetes and

in one major study was found to be protective

against type 1 diabetes in children.

Researchers of Multiple Sclerosis report less

incidence rates in those living closer to the

equator. Research by Harvard School of Public

Health indicates vitamin D therapy can stave off

the speed of progression and disease severity

in the early stages of the disease.

Psoriasis, a skin condition, is an auto-immune

illness. Sunlight is known to be beneficial for

this condition and now it has been shown that

vitamin D supplementation can also be of benefit.

In general vitamin D modulates immunity – a

deficiency can cause damage to the body, such

as occurs with auto-immune illness.

A vitamin D deficiency in children can

predispose them to respiratory illness as this

vitamin is critical for a healthy functioning

immune system. Pregnancy is also another

phase of life where vitamin D intake is vital

for both mother and baby’s general health and

development.

Cardiovascular disease and vitamin D

deficiency are causally related. In one study

low vitamin D was associated with a 67 percent

increase in the risk for hypertension. A research

study also found that high vitamin D intake was

associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Teenage girls with low vitamin D levels have

also been found to have an increased risk of

breast cancer later in life.

These findings illustrate vitamin D’s

incredible role in health throughout every

cell and system in the body, and throughout

the lifecyle.

Three recommendations

for vitamin D therapy

PRUDENT SUN EXPOSURE

To restore or maintain vitamin D in the body we need more than just casual exposure – daily

sessions for timed periods are necessary to

keep our bodies in a steady and supported

state of vitamin D production. The ideal time

periods will depend on personal circumstance

but the following protocols and conditions will

be helpful in determining what is most suitable

for you. An Integrative Medicine practitioner

is also able to ‘prescribe’ the right combination

of vitamin D therapy needed for your situation.

Here are some recommendations:

• Take time out in the sun every day (for fair

people six minutes in summer, 15 minutes in

winter) until skin is slightly pink. Build up to

ideal exposure times slowly. • Expose at least 15 percent of your body,

especially large limbs including the torso, and

parts of the body not normally exposed. (Skin

cancers are most often found on areas of the

body with high sun exposure such as the face

and hands so it’s wise to always protect these

areas.) • Account for time of day and the season. The

optimal vitamin D times are midday in winter,

and mid-morning or mid-afternoon in summer.

• Apply sunscreen immediately after your

timed exposure session if you plan to be outside

longer.

• Remember UVB, the vitamin D rays, cannot

penetrate glass/windows (but UVA rays, the

ones that can cause real damage can).

• Where you live will also affect optimal sun

exposure dependant on how close you are to

the equator – Melbourne residents may need

more time in the sun than Brisbane residents,

for example.

• Vitamin D therapy is appropriate for every

age, and particularly relevant in older age

groups. Ensuring adequate vitamin D levels

in young children is a terrific proactive measure

that can bring about long-term health benefits.


HEALTH

» Professor avni Sali is Founding Director of

the National Institute of Integrative Medicine

(NIIM).

niim.com.au

ADD VITAMIN D-RICH

FOODS TO YOUR DIET

In an Integrative Medicine-based approach

to health, diet is one of the most vital ways

in which we can achieve optimal health and

prevent disease. Fruits and vegetables, quality

grains and a regular intake of good proteins

including oily fish and other omega 3 rich foods

will help us achieve our health goals. Some

foods are a rich source of vitamin D (and other

essential nutrients) so it is useful to plan your

menus so that each meal includes something

from the following list:

Eggs (including the yoke), vitamin fortified

cereals, full fat cheeses and fortified dairy

products, plain yoghurt, oily fish such as

salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, oysters and

black caviar – especially if raw. Mushrooms

especially shitakes (but also button

mushrooms) are good sources of vitamin

D if grown in sunlight. Last year, a study

showed that mushrooms grown indoors could

be put in sunlight for about two hours and

this produced a very high vitamin D content

in the mushrooms. Keep an eye out for other

vitamin D fortified foods that appeal as long

as they are not overly processed.

TAKE A QUALITY SUPPLEMENTSupplements (liquid, capsule and other

forms) are readily available in health food

shops, supermarkets and pharmacies. Health

practitioners can also direct you toward

quality supplements and online retailers can

be a terrific source. If extremely low levels

are found that need a boost, or you have a

particular condition, you may be advised to

take more than 1000IU daily. An Integrative

Medicine health practitioner can guide you

on a correct protocol and ensure you are also

getting the other necessary vitamins and

minerals such as magnesium for vitamin D

absorption. People with bowel issues might

also need extra guidance regarding absorption.

Remember old-fashioned cod liver oil is also

an effective source of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is a potential antidote to the

current epidemic of autoimmune diseases

and a key strategy for public health. Taken

consistently, it can provide a foundation for

good health throughout the entire lifecycle. Let

sunshine, vitamin D’s most efficient delivery

system, be a daily element of your health

strategy.

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COLUMNISTS

I walked out in to the garden this morning

in order to recover from some news. I had

heard that a friend of mine had died. I had

known she was ill. I had intended to visit. I

left it too late.

She had one of those cruel, wasting diseases

that leave the mind intact while the body

gradually ceases to work. She knew she was

dying. Her husband Peter told me that in the

last few days there was a sense of peace, and

of permission having been given for her to

leave this life. Her children were grown and

well. Her husband was resigned to losing her.

Peter recalled his mother’s death.

Apparently, her last words were “I never knew

it could be so wonderful.” She meant death.

Peter’s wife didn’t say these words, but the

feeling, he said, was similar. The leaving of

life was as it should be – except too soon.

The news, and my long conversation with

Peter, carried me back to an earlier time in my life. This couple were crucial to me. It

was largely through my friendship with them

that I first dared to call myself a writer. I had

already published one book when I met them,

but I was not a writer. I had merely written.

It takes readers to make a writer, and their

great talent was reading. Peter and Libby

were the best, most instinctive, perceptive

and careful readers I have ever met. They

saw your intention, and they saw the things

you didn’t know you were trying to achieve.

They told you what you were doing in such

a way that you could see it for yourself. They could fulfill that profound imperative of E.M

Forster’s – only connect.

“Only connect the prose and the passion,

and both will be exalted, and human love

will be seen at its height. Live in fragments

no longer.”

It takes great readers to achieve that kind

of connection. No writer can do it on their

own, or at all. Sometimes I think the talent

of reading is rarer than the ability to write.

And so I walked into the garden to reflect on

this loss. It is about three years since I last saw

Peter and Libby. While they are frequently in

my thoughts, I hadn’t rung, I hadn’t written. I

had made plans to visit, but I left it all too late.

And in the garden the lettuce has all run

to seed, the leaves on the purple king beans

have the mottled look that comes with stress,

and the passionfruit vine is putting out small,

wrinkled fruit. It seems incapable of getting

sufficient water to its extremities to combat

the effects of forty degree heat.

Midsummer is, in the pagan tradition, the

time of full fruit. It is the tipping point of the

year, when one prepares for harvest and the

preservation of bounty.

I wish. Instead, my garden is ragged and the weekends have been so hot that I have

not had the will to get out there and repair,

replant and recoup.

Someone once wrote a poem about Libby. I remember it being shared with the small group

of writers that, at that time in my life, gathered

around the Varuna Writers’ Centre in the Blue

Mountains. It was an observation of her in the

garden, travelling back and forth to the garden

beds on a crisp, cold day with her wheelbarrow.

It was an observation of her beauty.

And so, too late, I have booked my air fares

and will go back to that place and visit my

remaining friend, and we will reflect on the

past, the present and the future.

of readers and writers

bY Margaret SiMonS

SIx Square MetreS

@MargaretSimons

there’s a hot rod show every Australia Day

weekend at the Royal Exhibition Buildings

in Carlton. Inside the buildings there is a

display of classic old rides driven in by enthusiasts

from all over the state. Maybe they drove it from

the back of a trailer truck parked outside the

doors to the big room, listening anxiously for any

stray metallic ticking as the rarely-used engine

struggled to idle. I jest, there’s all kinds of people

and attitudes here in this immediate area. All

dedicated to classic cars. Dream rides too. Fantasy

objects. Nostalgic shapes and attitudes frozen in

sculpted metal, glass and rubber.

People live for these cars. They pour their lives

into them. Stock standard Holdens , Valiants

and Fords from the Family-rated 1960s and the

R-rated muscled up 70s. Also American muscle

cars of the same periods. Outrageous fins and

dimensions. Some more like boats than land

cruising automobiles. There are also hot rods with

1934 Ford chassis carrying V8 engines from other

periods and dressed with mad fibreglass bodies.

Kit projects, you know, the sort of lascivious,

tongue dragging, chopped and lowered, bare

engined cartoonish coaches from ZZ Top videos

and Ed “Big Daddy” Roth illustrations.

These are people you can’t really argue with.

The crowd is so into it – so melded to the cause

and the dream – that they need to show the

rides they came in on as well. The whole garden

area around the building is a gallery, a rolling

display of hot rod heaven.

People amble about, taking photos and

greeting old friends. Comparing paint jobs and

daring tricks around any roadworthy laws that

might have to be taken into consideration. Some

of the cars are so lowered at the front it’s hard

to believe they can actually move. Must be some

hydraulics in action. Perhaps powered by a boot

full of extra batteries. Some people are there to

network, handing out business cards for their

trade or particular service. Some cornered the

market in tiny period decorations and glove

box mountings years ago and have the manner

of smug dealers who know how addictive their

hot rod heaven

bY Dave graney

Irregular WrItIngS

product is to this crowd. After all, they’re one

of them too! They all need that one extra thing

to complete the dream. Upholstery circa 1948

or 1962. Vinyl or leather of a certain hue. Paint

likewise. Memorabilia, photography. Lots of

soldiers and lots of camp followers.

A community radio station has set up a van and is blaring out some rock ‘n’ roll hits. There’s

a big crossover with the Rockabilly scene. Lots

of tattoos, 50s dresses in the crowd. Young

women with outrageously coloured hair and

milk white (tattooed) skin. T-shirts emblazoned

with car products or strong alcohol abounds

too. It’s still a bit of an underworld. Even

though the attitudes and looks come from the

far outer suburbs. (Where a man can indulge

himself in an immaculate and spacious garage).

These people are lifers really.

For the last four years I’ve made the shows and

caught up with an old friend from Mt Gambier

who drives the 400kms with a mate that morning

and drives back after a few hours of socialising.

He has a Holden EK Panel van (quite rare),

painted white with a V8 Chev engine off of the

chrome of which you could eat your proverbial

dinner. This is just his workday vehicle though. For actual work he has his van. Then there is the

34 Ford Rod (a Bob Dylan nut – ‘Desolation Row’

is painted in sweet cursive writing on the side of

the bonnet) and another, ongoing kit project.

Which cars did I fancy? Well I used to think it

was something you grew out of but with Holden

and Ford closures, how valuable are these cars

going to get now? They are total period pieces.

Glimpses of a lost world. It would be cool if

some catastrophe happened and we had to

become like Cuba and preserve our fleet of

muscle cars and vans. I don’t think we’re that

sort of country any more though.

I do love the shape and persona of a Holden EH. Immaculately simple cars. Earlier models

like the FC or FB are great, solid steel fat-bodied

machines too but hard to wrestle around corners.

Bench seats on all of them. I’m puddling up! I

have ridden in a Ford Falcon GTHO when they

were current. The driver was 17 and we wore air

craft seatbelts – harnessed over each shoulder. Crazy! Torana V8s of that period were all engine

and no brakes. I would love one of those too! But

I think my dream ride would be a 1974 Valiant

Regal. Brown with a vinyl, cream roof. Automatic.

Just for long drives on country roads.

@davegraney


COLUMNISTS

I am searching for a word. No dementia jokes

please. A word: glamorous, rich, evocative, that

we can appropriate to give old age a better tint.

Just as Gays did, and forever improved the image

and the language. We need something to distinguish

us, for example, as the last generation that

experienced life in the home without computers,

while being the generation that helped the invention

to reach its present sophisticated state. The man

who invented the mouse, Douglas Engelbart, died

only last year at the age of 88. I wonder if, in his

later years, any patronising young git asked him if

he knew what a mouse was.

I was thrilled to see that my generation’s

intimacy and expertise with computers were

recognised by The Guardian UK in December

when it asked actor Sheila Hancock, aged 80, to

give advice on online privacy and security. She

brought to bear on the subject of privacy her

earlier life experience: “I grew up in a generation

where we kept things private, where a letter was

a lovely little very private thing that arrived.

Suddenly we can send messages that could

Wanted: A Wonderful Word For Us

BY SHIRLEY STOTT DESPOJA

THIRD AGE misfi re, that anybody can see. My grandchildren

have a completely different attitude to privacy,

but I feel I have to assume that everybody can

see what I am doing on the web.” (“Spot on,”

said the security expert who worked with The Guardian on the Snowden stories.)

Is there a word that describes people with this

sort of applied, hands-on knowledge of life – all

aspects of life – who happen to be 80-ish? Who

are live wires, contributors to life and the gaiety,

song and dance of it? Elderly will not do.

‘Elderly’ has a shakiness about it, don’t you think?

As though the frail person thus described might

expire if the word ‘old’ were used to her or his face. I

use it to get the electricity back on or the phone fi xed.

That is, when I am not in actual view. But I couldn’t

use it face-to-face. I would fi nd it impossible to talk

face-to-face with someone whom I knew thought

I was elderly. When the word ‘frail’ came up in

a discussion about one of my bones, I made the

rheumatologist erase it from his Dictaphone-thingy.

He obliged. Good chap.

‘Senior’ is in wide use; very popular in public

service sort of communications. It seems to

confer some privilege, but we know it doesn’t.

It makes me feel like a Girl Guide, responsible

but not powerful or glam.

“Oldster” is terrible. Don’t even go there. Makes

me feel I should have four wheels. ‘Ageing’ is

ridiculous. As though we all aren’t. It does have

a certain levelling quality though. Like hats

that make everyone look middle aged. Except

those saucers that women fashionably wear to

the races or royal weddings. They make women

look demented. We don’t want that association.

Ageing is used for people who are old, but its

connotation is ‘actively crumbling’. It will not do.

‘Old’ is okay: Old English, but no glamour.

Even old objects have to be called ‘antiques’ to

become interesting. Perhaps it could acquire

jollier associations in its archaic form ‘olden.’

Would I mind being an olden if the image were

brushed up a bit? Olden has some mystery to

it. Elder is not bad, but it has a hierarchical ring.

There is work to be done here. Some good

spinning: quite useful if it makes us feel valued

and takes account of our wisdom and all-round

attractiveness. It will come.

Meanwhile I take enormous satisfaction

from the SA government’s decision to abandon

annual compulsory medical tests for drivers

aged 70 and over. Victoria, which doesn’t have

age-based testing, helped to show SA the way.

There was no evidence that such tests lowered

crash rates. They just made us feel bad.

I liked what Health and Ageing Minister

Jack Snelling had to say, no doubt advised

by some oldens (getting to like it better?) and

elders: “People are living longer and fuller lives

and we need to have more relevant policies

that do not discriminate by age and support

our older population.” So there. When I was

young we would have added for the benefi t

of those who say bad things about olden/

senior/drivers: “Put that in your pipe and

smoke it.” These days we know that even put-downs shouldn’t be smoked. But it’s an

excellent blow to discrimination. All the ‘buts’

have been considered and chased out the

door. Old people, call them what you like, are

as responsible as any in the community. And

when we fi nd the proper word for us, it will be

evident to all. Perhaps ‘majority’?

Just joking. Oldens do that.

Sheila Hancock

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THE POET’S WIFE Mandy Sayer / Allen & Unwin

BY TALI LAVI

The possessive noun in the title is telling.

This is a memoir but its subjects are twofold;

Mandy Sayer, Sydney writer, novelist and two-

time memoirist and her ex-husband Yusef

Komunyakaa, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.

Different in rhythm to its predecessor,

Dreamtime Alice, which channelled into the

manic energy of tap dancing and street performing

in New York and New Orleans, The Poet’s Wifeinterchanges from the quieter register of academic/

literary life to a claustrophobic tempo evocative

of mental instability and dependency. The

problematic relationship central to the narrative

has moved from one between Sayer and her

charismatic but feckless musician father, Gerry,

to her erratic but gifted husband. Interestingly,

even as their relationship was fragmenting, their

writing careers developed in a kind of symbiosis,

with Sayer editing many of his poems.

Readers might fi nd themselves desirous of more engagement with themes raised, such as

the effects of racism on an individual psyche,

but the depths excavated here are particular to

the author’s troubled but ultimately resilient

psyche. It is a personal, very frank memoir.

THE GREAT UNKNOWN Angela Meyer (ed.) / Spineless Wonders

BY DAVID SORNIG

In Krissy Kneen’s ‘Sleepwalk’, the opening story

in this anthology of the strange and unsettled,

a woman wanders the house every night in her

slumber taking photographs that reveal a haunted

other world in the midst of the mundane and the

domestic. It’s a truly creepy signature piece that

reveals the premise of the rest of the collection

as its writers show how the normal can be so

easily disturbed. Chris Somerville develops the

collection’s implicit political colour in ‘The Rift’,

a simultaneously very real and surreal story of

disconnection and violence in the wake of modern

war. Carmel Bird’s ‘Hare’ delivers all and none of

the answers to a whodunit murder mystery. While

there are a few less-polished stories that hint that

this is also a testing ground for less-experienced

writers, the collection is dominated by strong work

from some of Australia’s best contemporary fi ction

writers: Ryan O’Neil, Ali Alizadeh, P.M. Newton,

Paddy O’Reilly. Even philosopher Damon Young

expertly turns his hand to fi ction. Editor Angela

Meyer has assembled an entertaining, disturbing

and thought-provoking collection.

PLAGUE AND CHOLERA Patrick Deville / Hachette

BY TALI LAVI

History can be fi ckle. Or rather, the way we

choose to chronicle events and select people to

be lionised may seem disturbingly arbitrary.

These quandaries are considered by French

writer Patrick Deville whose seven other novels

remain untranslated into English, but whose

three most recent have entailed the kind of

historic resuscitation that we experience here.

The narrator of Plague and Cholera keenly

distils the possibilities of what is both gained

and lost; ‘A simple sum: if we [people inhabiting

the world today] each wrote a mere ten Lives

during the course of our own, no life would be

forgotten. None would be erased. They would all attain posterity, and justice would be done.’

It is, of course, an unrealistic, perhaps even a

fallacious proposition but the words used are

telling: ‘erased’ and ‘justice’ speak of the high

stakes involved.Plague and Cholera is, at once, a story of

life’s enigmas, a revelation of an idiosyncratic

genius’s life and a foray into an epoch of change,

war and discovery that straddles both East and

West. Swiss-born Alexandre Yersin, scientist,

expert on tuberculosis, founder of the vaccine for

bubonic plague, traveller, polymath, cultivator,

civil engineer, botanist, the ‘last survivor of the

Pasteur crowd’ forever in pursuit of the modern,

makes for a fascinating study. A man inspired by

Livingstone whose journeys, if mapped, evoke

the kind of scope of celebrated explorers, taking

in Berlin, Paris, Marseilles, Saigon, Phnom Penh,

Hong Kong, Canton, Bombay and Nha Trang

but whose legacy today is most recognised in

his chosen place of idyll, the South of Vietnam.

It is a quietly dazzling book. We are introduced

to Yersin as a septuagenarian, boarding the

last Air France plane out of a soon-to-be Nazi-

invaded Paris, returning to the community he

has established in Nha Trang. His story unfolds

ever so elegantly, like the accordion pleats of a

fan. We are guided by the narrator, ‘the ghost

of the future’, who interrupts the narrative and

thrusts himself into the action, even audaciously

imagining himself leaving his mobile on as he

places himself into a scene in the 1930s and

consequently being arrested as a spy and

madman. This spirit of playfulness abounds;

the hero refers to what is undeniably the novelist’s

own world as ‘painting and literature and all

that crap’ or ‘that fi lth of History and Politics’.

Countering this somewhat cavalier tone is the

urgency of History breathing down our necks

as World War II advances upon us.

Questions contemplated are philosophical. Is

it possible to remain apolitical at a time of war?

The interlocutor interrogates the mercurial

nature of fate, asking what if Yersin had stayed

Swiss, or taken German citizenship instead

of the French that he gained when a young

member of the Pasteur set.

Several battles animate the pages: those

for dominion over territories as played out by

the global powers of the time, the compelling

and highly competitive pursuit of scientifi c

discoveries engaged in by countries and

political alliances, and one waged between the

spheres of art and science. Rimbaud and Céline

are some of the artistic personalities whose

trajectories are juxtaposed against Yersin’s. A

mesmerising story; one which channels W.G.

Sebald’s blending of fi ction and history.


BOOKS

reviewTHe MeLBOUrNe

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTERThe Melbourne ReviewQuality writing on the arts, culture, ideas, knowledge, health, science, politics, design, planning, entertainment, gastronomy, technology, business and finance.

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V I S U A L A R T S • P E R F O R M I N G A R T S • P O L I T I C S • b U S I N E S S • F A S H I O N • G A S T R O N O M Y • F I N A N C E • T E C H N O L O G Y

The Raven’s eyeBarry Maitland / Allen & Unwin

BY William Charles

Former architecture professor Barry Maitland

continues his entertaining series featuring DCI

Brock and DI Kathy Kolla, this time amid the mazy

canals and private clinics of the UK. When Vicky

Hawke is found dead on a London canal houseboat,

the first anomaly is that this is not her real name.

She was in fact Gudrun Kite, daughter of a grieving

Cambridge professor of Scandinavian mythology

whose other daughter, Freyja, had also died in

mysterious circumstances not long before. Both

daughters had been working in the fields of hi-

tech encryption and surveillance technology and,

following their noses, Kolla and Brock are soon

sniffing around a private medical clinic where secret

operations on animals and humans are taking

place; Kolla also falls into the perilous web of Jack

Bragg, cleaver-wielding gangster and butcher – and

unwilling patient at said clinic. Throw in a group of

houseboat-dwelling anarcho-greenies and, within

the police ranks, new brass enforcing management-

speak and organisational rationalism upon the

spontaneous Brock and Kolla, and the fuse is lit.

Smart characterisation and beautifully paced the

whole way through, this is once again high quality

crime fiction from Maitland.

The Road To MiddleMaRchRebecca Mead / Text Publishing

BY Fiona o’Brien

Rebecca Mead first read Middlemarch at the

age of seventeen, surrounded by countryside in the

southwest of England. Like its young protagonist

Dorothea Brooke, she is discontent with “provincial

life”, and longs to explore life beyond the familiar

“narrow roads and hedgerowed lanes that discretely

delineate the ancestral holdings of landed families”.

Similarly, the narrative, a lively and detailed insight

into the interconnected lives of a small town,

immediately resonated with Mead, who has read

the book every five years since. Now in her mid-

forties, Mead looks back at how Middlemarch has

shaped her understanding of her own life, and how

her reading of many of the characters has evolved

to take on new significance in relation to her own

ambitions, dreams and relationships. Mead weaves

her reflections on adolescence, love and marriage

into her beautifully nuanced reading of the text,

along with details of Eliot’s own life that appear

to inform the vastly different characters of this

much-loved Victorian novel. Mead suggests it not

only teaches us to be grown-ups, but how to value

and accept the limitations of our ordinary lives.

The BesT of Mcsweeney’s inTeRneT TendencyChris Monks and John Warner (eds) /McSweeney’s

BY DaviD sornig

Dear McSweeney’s Internet Tendency

Writer.

I know the recent ‘Best Of’ anthology which

celebrating the Tendency’s fifteen years as a

humorous online adjunct to the well-known

McSweeney’s literary journal says that all its

articles are written by different people, some

of whom, like Megan Amram, are actually

famous memes on Twitter, but I know the

truth. There’s just one of you.

If you weren’t one person, how else would

you keep chugging out pieces that so hilariously

manage to mash up styles and pop-culture

references for humorous effect? I mean just look

at ‘Bono Gives the Rush-hour Traffic Report’,

‘A Letter to Elton John from the Office of the

NASA Administrator’, and the magnificent

‘Toto’s “Africa” by Ernest Hemingway.’ You

know when you’re on to a good thing.

You’re not just witty, Tendency Writer, but

you’re blazing with intelligence too. Go on,

admit it. I bet you’re pretty much burdened

with unused degrees. And at least one of them

is an MFA in Creative Writing, probably from

Iowa. Am I right? I thought so.

To be honest, if I wasn’t already married, I

think I’d like to marry you. We have so much

in common. We even share gender politics

and liberal social views. I totally get your

irony in ‘Hello Stranger on the Street, Could

You Please Tell Me How to Take Care of My

Baby’. And I can see myself being parodied

all over ‘A post-gender-normative Man Tries

to Pick Up a Woman at A Bar.’

But I do have a few concerns. Mostly I

worry that our similar, but slightly-different

pop-culture references might come between

us. As an Australian, I have no problems

of course in making sense of most of what

you’re talking about. While I’ve never

actually watched a box set television series,

I do know Deadwood, and I think I’ve

seen most of the movies you use as comic

fodder: The Sound of Music, the Indiana Jones franchise. But there’s stuff I make fun

of that you just wouldn’t get. Do you even

know about Zombie Peter Carey on Twitter?

Clive Palmer? Mamma Mia clickbait? And

what about Northcote? Is everyone wearing

beards in America too?

What I worry about most, though, is that we’re both writers. I especially worry that

you’ll think less of me for writing this ‘meta’

review of your anthology. In fact I probably

shouldn’t even have signposted it like that,

should I? I only figured that with pieces like

‘A Personal Essay by a Personal Essay’ and

‘The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do,’ you wouldn’t mind one bit.

Oh, man. This is such a crush. You’d really

like me. We’d laugh together at your long-

running debate on the practical viability of

the Death Star’s trash compactor, or the

Facebook newsfeed edition of Hamlet (‘The

king poked the queen.’ I get it. I really get it!).

I do hope we can at least hang out together

one day, Tendency Writer. Maybe you could

email me. We should definitely live-tweet

Portlandia together. What do you think?

The MelBoURne RevieW FeBruary 2014 17MelBoURneRevieW.CoM.AU

BOOKS


FEATURE

The Artisan’s TouchAustralian designer Megan Park has built more than an internationally renowned label – she has sculpted a family of craftspeople embroidering and designing around the world, including Designer Meg rumbold.

by HannaH bambra

A year after Meg Rumbold

embarked on an internship in

textile design, she found herself

crouching over an embroidery

frame in India, re-arranging beads by hand

with local craftsmen.

“When we travel I can spend a whole day rummaging through a bead market in Old

Delhi. Within it is a small strip of stores

with beads stacked up behind cows, people,

motorbikes. I spend hours there in the market

sourcing all sorts of beads, textures, colours –

grabbing anything that looks inspiring really.”

She was offered a uniquely hands-

on position after just three months of

work experience with Melbourne-based international fashion house Megan Park.

Rumbold has since risen in the ranks to

become Designer, working side-by-side

with her mentor and design team to create

timeless silhouettes out of hand dyed,

printed and embroidered textiles.

Piles of hand-worked textiles brought over

from trips to Asia and vintage fabrics from when

brand founder Megan lived in the UK fill their

open office with communal work spaces and a

flow of creative communication. While travel

of course serves the purpose of inspiration, the

international market also needs to be at the

forefront of the brand’s collective mind.

With stockists across Europe, the Middle

East, Japan and the United States, nearly

every season is at play at once and a huge

range of needs are tailored to. Many

Australian labels have lost the luxury of

wholesaling overseas. “We have kept the

international market due to the fact that

our product is timeless,” reflects Rumbold.

“There’s always a little bit of playing the

conductor of the orchestra, always a bit

of last minute creative tweaks and ideas,

always a bit of firefighting, always a bit of

support, but generally it’s a whole lot of passion

and adrenaline, really.”

Graeme Lewsey, CEO of Virgin Australia

Melbourne Fashion Festival, is excited to

talk about what he calls a “curated fashion,

beauty and business experience for everyone

to enjoy”. He’s been running the world’s largest

consumer-focused fashion festival since 2011,

and last year the program brought in a record

380,000 visitors. With hopes to push that

number higher than ever, the 2014 program

aims to thrill and educate at every turn.

The Business Events Series tackles challenges

that face the creative industries, with Lewsey

recommending the sessions not only for

designers but for all.

“It’s just as important, I believe, for a

really solid architectural practice to attend

our business seminar,” he says. “I mean, how

insightful! They’re learning about retail, they’re

learning about retail design, they’re learning

about consumer behaviours, they’re learning

about fashion trends.”

VAMFF aims to look beyond fashion in a

range of ways this year, with the guiding theme of

“awakening the senses”. Lewsey explains that this

is an encouragement for retailers to embrace new

approaches to customer service, considering the

scent of the shop and the music playing in store.

“It’s just about those really thought-provoking

concepts, and getting the best people from all

around the world to talk about them. That

really does harness those marketing devices and

presents them with credibility,” Lewsey says.

The festival is also continuing its ethical

programing, expanding on last year’s landmark

decision to ban fur on the runways.

“That’s a really big, bold statement from

us,” he says. But this year the focus is ‘artisan

ethical sourcing’: obtaining traditional crafts

and materials in a responsible, circumspect

manner. VAMFF has drawn in a tremendous bill

of speakers to discuss the issue’s complexities

and resolutions.

A new look vAMFF has a focus on artisan ethical sourcing.

by Ilona Wallace

GrAeme Lewsey

limedrop

“We’ve got Paul van Zyl, who’s an international

human rights lawyer and founder of Maiyet,

which is a brand out of New York, which is all built

on artisan ethical sourcing. We’ve also got Simone

Cipriani, who’s the Chief Technical Adviser of the

Ethical Fashion Initiative of the International

Trade Centre. So you can imagine, with those

two leading the discussion around ethics and

sustainability, you’d never get a stronger line-up.”

While the festival has a worldly outlook,

and aims to draw interstate and international

visitors (particularly with Virgin Australia

signing on as major sponsor), Lewsey says

he has never lost his Melbourne heart – and

neither will the festival.

“Melbourne is a creative city; Melbournians

have a great sense of style; we have great

architecture … We just generally create this

really great ‘hot pot’ of ideas. We bring Melbourne

together and we also bring regional Victoria alive.

They’re really robust, clever, immediately available,

immediately accessible events for consumers. That

reach is really terrific and that creates a buzz.”

Indeed, if last year’s extraordinary 10

million-plus reach of the Fashion Festival’s

hashtag is anything to go by, VAMFF is an

enormous boon for the Victorian capital and

the greater state.

The prizes and competitions run by VAMFF

also have a Victorian flavour, with this year

welcoming the first Future Runway prize, a

“competition-like” experience for Victorian high-school students. For budding designers

with a little more experience, the Graduate

Showcase offers exposure, and is open to

graduates from tertiary institutions all

around Australia. Finally, the Tiffany & Co.

National Designer Award – “the country’s

most pre-eminent award for our designers”

– can have a dramatic impact on a young

creative’s career.

“Last year,” Lewsey says, “there was an

article published featuring Australia’s most

successful international designers, and I think

every single one of those designers has actually

won our award.”

With five of this year’s six finalists hailing

from Melbourne, the Festival is happy to

acknowledge how designers benefit from

having VAMFF in their own back yard.

VAMFF, with Lewsey at the helm, has

become more than a consumer ride of glitz and

glam – integrity of the art is still their guiding

principle, but ethics, sustainability, diversity,

inclusivity and nurturing local designers play

equally vital roles in the Festival’s program.


FEATURE

» The Megan Park Flagship store

is at 1039 high St, armadale.

» The Megan Park collection will be showcased

on ruNWay 2 at the Virgin australia

Melbourne Fashion Festival on March 18.

meganpark.com.au

The brand also balances satisfying longstanding

customers – those who love their approach of

crafting ‘modern antiques’ – with meeting the

needs of their broadening demographic. On top of

the home, girl and accessories collections which

have become a huge part of the label, Megan

Park has recently launched a holiday line of soft,

cotton beachwear.

Rumbold sometimes stops to think about

how much their design process has changed

since she first took pencil to paper four years

ago. The past four years have seen the exciting

introduction of more digital prints. These

new developments in how the team work and

construct still keep with Megan Park’s tradition

of celebrating the artisan’s touch. The technical

work Rumbold does using new technology

always begins with hand painting – the mixing

of ink, gouache, watercolour and lead.

“What makes a real difference is Megan’s ethos about craftsmanship. She pays

incredible attention to detail,” says the textile

designer. That detail may be as minute a

visible thread matching the tone of a bead.

The team regularly sit down together, playing

with how Rumbold’s intense patterns of large

graphic flowers and twisting kaleidoscopes

will sit with the fabric’s natural textures and

fall on one of their Shape Designer’s loose,

flowing fits.

Kurigers, the Indian artisan embroiderers

who the Megan Park brand work with on their

visits, train for years to hone their skills and

continue an age-old tradition. Now going into

her ninth season with the brand, Rumbold

continues to develop her own expertise with

the support of a motivating and generous

superior. The fashion industry is now just one

of many in which students struggle to find a

start and it is both encouraging and inspiring

to hear Rumbold’s story of post-graduate years

filled with screen-printing, researching and

nurturing her craft abroad.

To celebrate the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival, our leading interior design team have partnered with the iconic and influential Lisa Gorman as part of the United by Style project. Inspired by her latest collection, Winter Harvest, the Dulux team have created rooms that translate fashion, colourand texture straight from the runway into the home.

Transform your home with colour that inspires at dulux.com.au

Dulux Whitsunday

Island

Dulux Witches Cauldron

DuluxCreed

Dulux Baby Tone

Colour choice and fashion are very much

part of our day-to-day living. Whether

it’s as simple as choosing which pair

of shoes to wear with your outfit or

what tie to wear with your shirt, we make daily

decisions on colour, pattern and texture. The days

of monochromatic living and white on white are

behind us too. Bold colour is making a big comeback

in the home.

United by Style


FEATURE

romance was born and lisa Gorman join forces with Dulux interior designers ahead of vAMFF.

by Daniella Casamento

This year, Dulux has once again partnered

with two of Australia’s leading fashion designers

for the United by Style project to be showcased

at the 2014 Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion

Festival (VAMFF) this March.

Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales from Romance

Was Born, and Lisa Gorman of Gorman have

spent the last five months collaborating with

Dulux Stylist Bree Leech to present the latest in

fashion and interior trends. This follows Dulux’s

successful partnership with Camilla Franks and

Kirrily Johnston in 2013.

“The idea of the United by Style project and

our collaboration with fashion designers is

that people are confident about personal style

but not as confident about interiors,” Leech

explains. Her advice for people looking to

update their home interiors is firstly to look in

the cupboard to see the colours they are drawn

to. “Use that as your inspiration,” she says.

Lisa Gorman and the team at Romance Was

Born developed a close working relationship

with Leech in the months leading up to VAMFF.

Early on they provided Leech with lookbooks

for their 2014 Autumn Winter collections. From

here, she prepared mood boards with images

as a starting point for interior concepts and

key looks which represent the essence of each

designer’s collection. The look was constantly

updated following feedback from the designers.

» The 2014 Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion

Festival will be held at Central Pier Docklands

from March 17 – 23.

vamff.com.au

Your home, like the clothes you wear, is very much an expression of your individual style.”


FEATURE

This has culminated in rooms, designed by the

interior design team at Dulux, that demonstrate

inspiring and trend-setting techniques to take

fashion colours straight from the runway into

the home.

“Your home, like the clothes you wear, is

very much an expression of your individual

style,” says Leech. “It’s great to be able to show

through these partnerships how inspiration

can be taken from the newest fashion colours

and translated into the home with paint and

decorative accessories.”

With a great interest in the inspiration and opportunities that come from collaboration,

Gorman says that Dulux are very forward in

their thinking. The United by Style rooms

have a sensibility that embodies the symbolic

references, prints, colours and patterns of her

Autumn Winter collection. “We have combined

gold and mustard colours with icy silver, pink

and dark navy.”

Gorman’s Harvest pattern was inspired by artwork including hand blown glass vegetables

and hand crafted macramé and ceramic

homewares. Bright colours contrast with dark

navy which is refl ected in her new clothing

collection and the Dulux room interiors. “The

rooms have a Scandinavian feel with a mix

of timber and vintage Danish furniture and

product sourced from Angelucci 20th Century

furniture,” explains Gorman. They also include

accessories from her homewares collection

to which she plans to add new product in the

coming months.

Leech describes Romance Was Born’s

Autumn 2014 collection Dream On as

“psychedelic, more 1960s than 1970s.” She

says it delivers the sense of whimsy and theatre

we expect from the dynamic duo that, since

winning the title of Melbourne Fashion Festival

National Designer in 2008, has taken the design

world by storm. A fun and hopeful collection,

Dream On sees silhouettes reminiscent of a

marching girl’s uniform, logos and motifs that

hark back to the fl ower power movement and a

fl uidity that evokes a street wear vibe.

With such vibrant and inspired fashion

designers at play, the United by Style project

by Dulux is set to be a highlight of the 2014

Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival.

Phot

os: M

ike

Bak

er (m

ikeb

aker

.com

.au)

Our Obsession with the Fashion CultureFixation

RUSSELL, Ariana Page, detail from After Party (2009), archival inkjet print, 45 x 66cm, © Courtesy of the artist and Magnan Metz Gallery

www.townhallgallery.com.auFixation seeks to create a dialogue around ideas of our obsession with fashion.

Artists: Alexander Batsis, Janice Gobey, Leo Greenfield, Inge Jacobsen (UK), Ariana Page Russell (USA), Kitty N. Wong (HK). Curated by Mardi Nowak.

4 March – 13 April 2014

Town Hall Gallery Hawthorn Arts Centre 360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122 P: 03 9278 4626 E: [email protected]


PERFORMING ARTS

The Australian National Academy of

Music (ANAM) is opening its 2014

season on Friday 7 March with a

concert that showcases the exciting

and diverse year ahead for these young and

talented musicians.

As an educational institution and arts

organisation dedicated to the artistic and

professional development of young musicians,

ANAM has developed its 2014 program to

showcase innovation and energy. Over its

19 years, ANAM has invited some of the best

Australian and international artists to our

shores. This year is no different, with ANAM

welcoming a diverse and exceptional collection

by Noè Harsel

ANAM OpeNs iTs 2014 seAsON

Phot

o: P

awel

Kop

czyn

ski

of artists including world-renowned conductor

Simone Young, Israeli improvisational pianist

David Dolan and young Venezuelan conductor

Ilyich Rivas.

It also sees the welcome return of former

artistic director Brett Dean as Composer in

Residence. Composer, conductor and musician,

Brett Dean was born and educated in Brisbane,

studying at the Queensland Conservatorium

and winning the 1982 Conservatorium Medal

for Student of the Year. At 20 years of age,

he was a prize-winner in the ABC Symphony

Australia Young Performers Awards.

He moved to Germany in 1984 where he was

a violist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

for 14 years. He began composing in 1988, with

experimental film and radio projects and as

an improvising performer. His reputation as

a composer developed, and through award-

winning works such as the clarinet concerto

Ariel’s Music (1995) and his works for strings,

sampler and tape, Carlo (1997), he gained a

strong international reputation.

Winning the 2013 Melbourne Prize for

Music, the judges’ comments acknowledged

his international standing: “Brett Dean,

classical composer and conductor, has made an

outstanding contribution to Australian music

both locally and on the international stage and

in doing so has enriched our cultural life.”

Dean’s conducting has been described

as “crafted evocative soundscapes with

refreshingly clear musical ideas in the underlying

accompaniment” (The Age, January 2013). He

is one of the most internationally performed

composers of his generation. Dean has cited his

musical inspiration comes from many sources

including literature, politics and visual arts.

Works by Dean have been commissioned

by the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouw

Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC

Proms, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, BBC

Symphony, Melbourne Symphony and Sydney

Symphony to name a few.

ANAM’s opening night will feature Dean

as conductor and showcase one of his own

compositions, Pastoral Symphony (2000).

This emotional introduction to his ANAM

residency is a reference to the loss of the

natural environment to creeping urbanism in

the Australian landscape. As Dean describes,

“what at the beginning was birdsong becomes

by the end, traffic noise within an aggressive

industrial landscape.”

brett Dean

» The first performance of 2014 featuring brett

Dean with musicians from aNaM is on Friday,

March 7 at 7:00pm. Tickets: full $55, seniors

$40 and concession $30.

» australian National academy of Music, South

Melbourne Town hall, 210 bank Street, South

Melbourne

anam.com.au

The 24 Hour Experience | A living documentary of the city. 24 live works take place on the hour every hour from noon 29th March to noon 30th March 2014. From Federation Square to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. The 24 Hour Experience is a fully catered adventure through hidden perspectives of Melbourne.

www.24hourexperience.com.au

Noon 29 March to Noon 30 March

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

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24HRExperience_PressAd_158x123_PROD.pdf 1 7/02/14 9:06 AM


PERFORMING ARTS

Billy Bragg

Bragging Rights UK singer, songwriter and activist Billy Bragg was last in Australia late in 2013 to take part in Brisbane’s Big Sound music conference as a speaker and prior to that for a solo tour in 2012. Bragg is now returning with his full band and new album, Tooth and Nail, for a national tour that will include appearances at WOMADelaide on March 10 and at St Kilda’s Palais Theatre on March 13.

BY ROBERT DUNSTAN

Bragg fronted UK punk band Riff Raff

in the late 70s before embarking on

a successful solo career with such

albums as Life’s a Riot With Spy vs Spy, Talking to the Taxman About Poetry and

Back to Basics. He has also been involved with

grassroots, leftist political movements such as

Red Wedge.

Bragg collaborated with Wilco on Mermaid Avenue on which they put the unused lyrics of

» Billy Bragg performs at WOMADelaide, Botanic

Park, Adelaide, on Monday, March 10 and at the

Palais Theatre, St. Kilda on Thursday, March 13.

womadelaide.com.au

palaistheatre.net.au

Woody Guthrie songs to music with the song

Way Down Yonder in the Minor Key receiving

much airplay on triple j.

The musician is no stranger to WOMAD

festivals as he has performed at many around

the world and is greatly anticipating taking

part in his fi rst WOMADelaide.

“WOMAD festivals are always such a lot of

fun,” Bragg says. “They are such a great event to be involved in because it’s like a little multi-

cultural village and you also get to see some

great music.

“I’ve always had a good time in Adelaide,

anyway,” he adds. “Adelaide is a place where

you can really chill-out anyway and I’ve

heard that Botanic Park, especially when

WOMADelaide is on, is a great place to do that.

And the other great thing about the WOMAD

organisation is that they choose some great

locations. They always give a lot of attention

to that so a WOMAD festival is never just held

in a big empty fi eld somewhere.”

The musician uses Facebook to post videos of soundchecks with a recent guilty pleasure, as

they have become known, being of Bragg and

Australia’s Kim Churchill covering Fleetwood

Mac’s Go Your Own Way.

“They are a lot of fun because at soundchecks

you can get into a situation where you are

playing the same bloody song every day,”

he laughs. “But doing a few covers, mucking

around and jamming on some intros to songs

can be much more fun. And for the Fleetwood

Mac song, we got Kim up because he was

touring with us at the time and we knew he’d

make a good Stevie Nicks. He’s got the right

haircut for a start.”

Bragg recently posted another ‘guilty

pleasure’ on Facebook of the band covering

The Byrds’ I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better and

dedicated the rendition to Sid Griffi n, formerly

of US band The Long Ryders but now leader of

UK-based country rockers The Coal Porters.

“Sid had been very helpful in introducing me to some musicians for my new band,” Bragg

says of his latest backing players, which include

drummer Luke Bullen, pedal steel player and

guitarist CJ Hillman, bass player Matt Rounds

and keyboardist Owen Parker. “Sid’s very active

in the London bluegrass and country scene so

when I was trying to put a band together I went

to him for help as I was desperate to fi nd a young

pedal steel player. There are a lot of pedal steel

players in the UK but most of them are older

than me and I wanted someone who might know

how to play pedal steel but Johnny Marr as well.

“Sid told me there was a guy up in

Manchester, CJ Hillman, who would fi t the

bill. So that’s how I hooked up with CJ who

has brought something really special to the

band with his pedal steel, the Dobro and his

jangly Rickenbacker guitar.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever heard The

Flamin’ Groovies version of I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better but CJ, who is only 26 but into

jangly guitar bands, had never even heard

of The Flamin’ Groovies,” Bragg adds with a

laugh. “So I had to sit him down and have a

bit of a chat. Everyone should hear some of

The Flamin’ Groovies even if it’s only Shake Some Action.”

Bragg was preparing for an encore when

told that Nelson Mandela had passed away.

“So I went back on and did Tank Park Salute,” he reveals. “It’s a song about the death

of my father so I dedicated it to Nelson Mandela

as the father of his nation. While his death

wasn’t unexpected, there was an audible gasp

from the audience when I told them.”


PERFORMING ARTS

Cockby Katherine SmyrK

John is at the breaking point of his seven-

year relationship with M, a man. That’s

when he falls for W, a woman.

MTC’s new play Cock is about one man

just trying to find a place within the rigid lines

of society.

John ends up with a lot on his hands as the

two competitors for his love whirl around each

other in a brightly coloured, ferocious flurry.

This is more than your average love triangle;

this is a brutal cock-fight.

After highly acclaimed performances in

London and New York, Mike Bartlett’s play

Cock is set to explode onto Melbourne’s theatre

scene this week.

The production is only made up of four cast

members. Tom Conroy plays the protagonist,

John. Angus Grant plays M, the discarded

lover. Tony Rickards is F, the father. And

Sophie Ross is W, the womanly spanner thrown

in the works of John’s life.

While the play is definitely cheeky, it is more

challenging than shocking, according to Sophie

Ross.

“Most of the audience at the MTC is from a

generation where the labels of gay and straight

were very liberating, were about positive

identity,” she says.

“For our generation, labelling is another

form of repression. Where does that need come

from in humans? Why do we feel the need to

categorise?”

The struggle that John has with these

questions shapes the play, fuelling the tug of

war between M and W, and creating something

audiences haven’t experienced on stage before.

“Most love triangles we’ve seen in main

stream drama have been heterosexual or

homosexual, not the mix of the two,” says Ross.

“It’s not just about his heart being attached

to two people, it’s about identity. It’s a much

bigger question. We’ve been grappling with

this question for ten years, but not on stage.”

The audience is thrown between high

surges of comedy and deep troughs of drama

throughout the play. Confronted with the ache

of three peoples’ heavily invested hearts, the

play is bound to be moving. But ultimately,

Cock will make you laugh.

“Mike Bartlett is very witty. It’s absurd, it’s

kooky,” says Ross. “The intimacy and the sex is so honest, it’s funny. It’s awkward in the way

that life is awkward.”

To accompany this complex movement

between hilarity and heartbreak is original

music by Australian artist, Missy Higgins. This

is Higgins’ first time writing for theatre. The

» Cock shows at the arts Centre melbourne,

Fairfax Studio, until March 22.

mtc.com.au

Phot

o: G

ina

Mili

cia

The Government InspectorThe prolific Simon Stone celebrates the art of theatre in his new play to open Malthouse Theatre’s 2014 season.

by anna SnoeKStra

Twenty-nine year old Simon Stone

has been hailed as the ‘boy genius’

of the theatre world. Over the last

four years, he has been incredibly prolific

and this week is no different. “I just had a

premiere on Saturday night in Germany for

Oresteia,” he tells me. “I left the morning

after the premiere and then started

rehearsals in Australia the day after I got

off the plane.”

He has ducked out from those

rehearsals to talk to me. However, the

clatter and chatter continues behind him

in preparation for the opening of The

Government Inspector, an adaptation

of Nikolai Gogol’s 1836 satirical play of

the same name. Stone has made a career

out of re-working classic plays. “It really

comes down to how distant the thing is,”

he tells me. “When it comes to the point when something really is quite distant,

there’s a need to make it connect to the

audience in a contemporary way. It’s

the burning need to tell a story that I

recognise in a classic play, as a reflection

of the world that’s going on around me.

The choice of material really just comes

down to what mythology I want to explore.

“Often the way I rewrite these stories is

I restructure them or I find a new form for

them first. More often than not, I am trying

to find a language that is recognisable in the

everyday. So the audience sees themselves

on stage.”

Gogol’s version of The Government Inspector is about a corrupt town that

mistakes a visiting civil servant for a

government inspector coming to check

up on them. Knowing the history, the

choice of play is quite inspired. Stone had

originally begun work on The Philadelphia Story until the rights fell through at the

last minute.

“I decided actually that the best show

to make was one that was inspired by

circumstances and could be a celebration

of the theatre’s ability to endure anything

and the concept of the show going on,” he

tells me. “We are basically creating a show

about a group of actors who are suddenly

score is centred on one song she wrote, which was then cut up into snippets, phrases and

chord structures that are used in different ways

throughout the play.

“It makes it feel incredibly contemporary,

because everyone knows her voice and she’s so

Australian,” says Ross. “It’s really interesting

because that places the drama in the here and

now, hopefully people will feel absolutely in it

and not so voyeuristic.”

To complement the music, director Leticia Cáceres has been working closely with set

designer Marg Horwell to create a captivating

set for the play.

The production in London was done on a

completely bare set, but for the Melbourne

show Cáceres has added a playful design

element.

But Ross refuses to divulge more, saying

“it’s too beautiful, I want people to see it for

themselves”.

Settling somewhere in the middle of a furious

animal fight to the death and a light-hearted

romp between the sheets, Cock is bound to

blow you away.


PERFORMING ARTS

Phot

o: B

rett

Boa

rdm

an

» The Government Inspector will open

Malthouse Theatre’s 2014 season with

performances from February 28 to March 23.

malthousetheatre.com.au

left in a situation where they have no show to

put on and they need to invent a piece of theatre

in a very short period of time.

“They come upon this very brilliant idea of

doing a version of The Government Inspector but unbeknownst to them the famous European

director that they’ve hired is actually an

unemployed actor who was turning up hoping

for an audition. So the plot ends up mirroring

the plot of The Government Inspector and

also echoing the genre and the notions of The Philadelphia Story, which is the show they

wanted to do in the fi rst place.

“I have one of the best acting ensembles

that I could possibly have for this show,

so that’s a great security blanket,” Stone

tells me breezily, as I ask him about his

confidence under such tight time pressure.

“It’s completely silly and one of the silliest

things I’ve ever done. It’s just there for the

delight of the audience and as an opportunity

to reflect on what it is that we do when we

come to the theatre and what it is that we do

when we make theatre. It’s a celebration of

the joy of entertainment.”

The hectic nature of the creation of this piece

seems apt, as it will mark the end of Stone’s

last few years of constant work. He will be

taking six months off and then will be taking

his talents abroad.

“Over the next two years I’m working a lot in

Europe and my schedule is pretty full of shows

in Europe. I grew up there as well, so having

a chance to work where I grew up has a sense

of homecoming to me, which is wonderful. Of

course, it’s just a phase of my life. I hope to God

I can be here on a regular basis again because

Australia is one of the most extraordinary

places to live and work in the world.”

THE LONG WAY HOMEBY DANIEL KEENE

SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE PRESENT

27 – 29 MAR 2014 THE COOPERS MALTHOUSESYDNEYTHEATRE.COM.AU/LONGWAYHOMETOUR 03 9685 5111

WITHWILL BAILEY, DAVID CANTLEY, JAMES DUNCAN, WAYNE GOODMAN, CRAIG HANCOCK, MARTIN HARPER, KYLE HARRIS, PATRICK HAYES, EMMA JACKSON, ODILE LE CLEZIO, TIM LOCH, EMMA PALMER, TAHKI SAUL, SARAH WEBSTER, JAMES WHITNEY, GARY WILSON, WARWICK YOUNG

DIRECTOR STEPHEN RAYNE

LIGHTING DESIGNER DAMIEN COOPER

DESIGNER RENÉE MULDER

SOUND DESIGNER STEVE FRANCIS

Stories from the front line

Photo by Australian Defence Force

AN HISTORIC COLLABORATION BETWEEN SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE

LWH_MelbourneReview_HPV.indd 1 5/02/2014 5:01 pm


WORDS & MUSIC

GODMy Pal

by Phil KaKulas

M y Pal by GOD is an underground

classic you may never have

heard of – a blistering ode

to alienation by a group of teenage malcontents that led the way for a new

generation of Australian bands. The Melbourne

group broke up before its members hit their

twenties, but the song has lived on, championed

by successive waves of alternative rockers like

Magic Dirt, The Drones and Violent Soho.

Released in 1987, My Pal was written by

then sixteen-year-old singer and guitarist Joel

Silbersher. The song opens with the simple,

descending guitar riff that serves as the musical

centrepiece of the song. Repeated alongside

the opening salvos of a cyclical, three-chord

progression, the riff stands resolute against the

shifting forces of the music. The group plays it

hard and fast, the song teetering on the edge of

collapse as they careen through the intro and

on to the first verse.

Silbersher’s voice belies his age in power

and raw emotion. His shredded vocal

chords caused, perhaps in part, by the group

rehearsing without a vocal P.A. “We’d been

playing the music for months,” he says,s “but

we didn’t practice with a vocal P.A. so I didn’t

know how the tune went until our first official gig as GOD… Those guys had played and sung

in front of people before, which I had not.”

The words slur past in a wounded wail. A

lyrical phrase emerging here and there from

the musical stew: ‘I don’t like no-one except for you.’ The verses may be obscured but the

chorus is unmistakable.

You’re my only friend, you don’t even like me

It’s a king hit. For critics, a pure expression

of teen angst, yet the author’s not so sure.

“I don’t know about the ‘urban teenage

despair’,” Silbersher says, “(it was) more

observing picked-on teens who still, unbelievably, wanted to be friends with their

tormentors. I hate bullies and the desperate-

to-fit-in-whateverthefuckencost folk almost

as much as each other… bullying bullies is

good.”

Having recorded the song in the weirdly

wonderful home studio of Shower Scene

From Psycho’s Simon Grounds, the band set

about getting it released. First stop was Au-

Go-Go Records, where label manager and

proprietor Bruce Milne was already familiar

with Silbersher and bassist Tim Hemensley.

“I had known Joel and Tim for a few years

already,” says Milne. “They were a pair of

opinionated twelve-year-olds who would come

into the shop and proceed to tell us what music

was good and what was not… but the song was

amazing. I had to release it.”

Out back of the shop was one David Laing,

a music fan with a small indie record label

of his own. “I remember Joel playing it to

Bruce and thinking damn, I wish he’d played

it to me first,” he laughs. “I would have loved

to put it out.” Laing’s wish was eventually

fulfilled with the 2014 release of Dirty Jeans

– a retrospective collection documenting this

important phase in Australian alternative

music. As the curator of the release Laing

had no doubt that My Pal should be the

opening track.

“For me it represents a changing of the

guard,” he explains. “Before GOD the scene

was dominated by an almost reverential

approach to the Detroit sound of The Stooges

and Nuggets-era garage rock. Along with The

Hard-Ons, GOD signalled a shift in influences

to American hardcore and AC/DC, as well as

a refreshing ‘piss-take’ type attitude. That

shift was reflected in the bands that followed

through the 90s.”

» A reissue of the original 7” single of My

Pal and Dirty Jeans: The rise of australian

alternative rock are both out now.

» Phil Kakulas is a songwriter and teacher who

plays double bass in The blackeyed susans.

GOD split in 1989 on the eve of their debut

album’s release. Silbersher and Hemensley,

(along with guitarist Sean Greenway and

drummer Matthew Whittle) would go on to

further musical projects: Silbersher with Hoss

and then Tendrils, Hemensley fronting The

Powder Monkeys. Both regularly played the

Tote Hotel, where My Pal was adopted in

the 2000s as the legendary venue’s unofficial

anthem.

Twenty-seven years on, Joel Silbersher has

mixed feelings about the ongoing attention

given to the ‘brave little feller’ he calls My Pal. “I’m sick of hearing about it,” he says.

“It’s nice that people love that song… (but)

I’ve been making records ever since. That

was 1987, yeah? I hope I didn’t shoot my

musical wad when I was sixteen. I coulda

been a neurologist or a high priced male

companion.”

THE mElbournE rEviEw brinGS in 2014 in STYlE

The Melbourne Review welcomed a group

of friends, clients and contributors to Kumo

Izakaya in Brunswick East late last month.

Host Andre Bishop provided outstanding and

plentiful food and drinks as the TMR family

mingled, catching up with old faces and

meeting new friends.

PhoTos MaTThew wren» To see More soCiAl iMAGes visiT MelbOurnereView.COM.au


CINEMA

Glorious Gloria

by D.M. braDley

“Everyone has been so kind and enthusiastic

about the film everywhere”, begins Paulína

Garcia as she discusses her titular role in co-

writer/director Sebastián Lelio’s Gloria, “and

they’ve been laughing too.” Laughing? But

surely this isn’t really a comedy – or even a

‘tragicomedy’? “Maybe, but it does seem to be

funny for some people.”

García is very proud of her work in Lelio’s

intimate drama, and speaks glowingly of how

she became involved: “They [Lelio and co-writer

Gonzalo Maza] called me at the very beginning

and they wanted to write it for me. I was really

very honoured, and at first it was really just an

idea… It took three years before they started to shoot it as there were other commitments, as

well as disasters here in Chile, and a tsunami [in

2010]. They started to properly write it at the end

of 2012, and yes, I was involved from the very

beginning, which was wonderful.”

Gloria, an ‘older woman’ in contemporary, chaotic Santiago facing failing health, workplace

issues and demanding grown-up kids, starts a

passionate relationship with a former naval

» rated Ma. opens February 27.

officer (Sergio Hernández as Rodolfo). This

role would be a demanding and difficult one

for any actress, but García wasn’t intimidated:

“It was both exhausting and rewarding to do…

I actually, while we were making it, found it

hard, as I was alone on the screen so often. I

had to [map out] the character so that I could

do it, as shooting a film like this is an unusual experience for an actress, any actress, and I

consider myself mainly a stage actress.”

García’s in every scene, the camera is

always on her and she often doesn’t have

much to say: “It was very quiet. Even though

we did rehearse a lot, those scenes where it’s

just me and I say nothing, you know, there

was no rehearsal of those. We just did them…

I actually never had an official script – just a

storyboard, and ideas, and no dialogue. I was

trying to find the key to Gloria and, even at

the end, I still wasn’t sure if I had found it…

But I was very glad to have done it.”

It’s impossible not to mention the love

scenes in the film, particularly as they take

place (gasp!) between ‘older people’, and

García explains that it “was all about honesty,

yes, but it was always difficult too. Intimacy

between actors is always difficult… You know,

Sergio is not my husband or my lover: he was

my work partner. And sometimes they said,

‘Now!’, and we two were supposed to have this

great intimacy! We did spend a lot of time with

Sebastián to work out what was wanted and

what we could show… And no, they’re not

young people with well-shaped bodies – but

they are feeling real emotions.”

Finally, García mentions that the Chilean

film industry is currently thriving (see last

year’s internationally renowned No, for

example), and that she’s very happy with how

Gloria turned out and the positive reaction to

it around the world.

“I think that now I might do more movies… But I’m not likely to find another character like

Gloria for a while!”

T H E W O R L D ’ S F E S T I V A L

Billy Bragg

Muro WashingtonMikhael Paskalev

NgaiireFemi KutiArrested Development

SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL LINE-UP

LINE UP INCLUDES


PERFORMING ARTS / CINEMA

An Audience With Steve McQueen

by D.M. braDley

You might have thought that London-born director Steve McQueen would be in high spirits mere hours after it was announced that he’d been

nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for 12 Years A Slave, but he isn’t, possibly as he’s still getting over a recent illness or, as he suggests towards the end of the interview, that he’s simply exhausted.

“Yes, I have just heard about the nomination this morning. It’s good, yes. I suppose that it’s a surprise, as you never really know if these things are going to happen, you know?”

Slave is McQueen’s third feature after the confronting Hunger (2008) and the ‘controversial’ Shame (2011), and it’s quite unlike either of those. Was it something that he wanted to do simply as it was so different?

“No, that wasn’t it, really. I just wanted to make a movie about slavery. That was all, really. I was fascinated by the story of Solomon Northup [1808 -1863], and I just wanted to make it into a movie… It was my wife who first read the book, so she was the one who found it. It was this story about a former slave, who was made a free man, who’s then kidnapped

and forced back into slavery. And my wife just said to me, ‘Why don’t you make this story?’… So that was it: I just wanted to make a movie about slavery.”

Is Slave, which is mostly set in the mid-19th Century, also intended to be a movie about right now?

“Yes, I think so. It is meant to reflect upon what’s happening now… It is meant to comment upon what is happening now in terms of exploitation.”

This is a much bigger and more elaborate production than the more intimate Hunger and Shame, and it’s also McQueen’s first in America, so how did it all happen, and was Brad Pitt, who worked as a co-producer and has a fine small role, a key player?

“Brad was a key element in it. It wouldn’t have been made, I think, without him... So yes, he’s the one, and he helped get it all off the ground.”

Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor was also born in London, so was he maybe a friend of McQueen’s?

“I did know him beforehand, and he’s a very good actor and he really wanted to do it… I was very grateful that he had no misgivings about taking the role on, and he just did it so well. He did a very fine job… Especially considering the demands of doing the film: we did it all in only 35 days with one camera.”

» rated MA. now showing.

The GreaT BeauTY

by Christopher sanDers

Quentin Tarantino infamously slammed modern Italian cinema in 2007, calling it depressing and to add insult to injury added that while he loved 60s and 70s Italian cinema (and who doesn’t?) modern films from the land of his idol Sergio Leone “all seem the same”. And he had a point. What happened to the great cinematic country responsible for neo-realism and the director giants Fellini, Rossellini, De Sica and Leone? Italian siren Sophia Loren hit back at QT’s criticism with the lame rebuttal, “How dare he talk about Italian cinema when he doesn’t know anything about American cinema?” Whether you like Tarantino’s films or not, the Pulp Fiction director is a fanatical film nerd who knows his stuff. With Tarantino’s seven-year-old criticism in mind, it is hard to remember the last time an Italian film, aside from the gangster film Gomorrah, knocked you out of your cinema seat. Until now. Enter Paolo Sorrentino’s (This Must be the Place, The Consequences of Love) delicious love letter to Rome, The Great Beauty, which will not only knock you out of your seat but through the cinema door and into the foyer’s popcorn maker. As the name suggests, The Great Beauty is a decadent feast for the senses, which lives up to the ‘21st Century’s La Dolce Vita’ hype that surrounds it.

Beginning with an elaborate party scene to celebrate writer Jep Gambardella’s (a wonderful cheeky Toni Servillo) 65th birthday, The Great Beauty is over the top and in your face from beginning to end. The opening scene is one of the most bizarre and debauched parties you will ever see that features a conga line. Club music blares, as the ever-grinning and superbly dressed Jep and his A-list artistic friends dance the night away. After the party, the comedown hits. Jep is a writer who hasn’t followed his acclaimed debut novel from

» rated M. now showing.

40 years earlier with new work. Sure, he writes the occasional magazine feature to sustain his hedonistic lifestyle but he becomes bored of his A-list friends and random sex with beauties who are, of course, much younger than he. Jep and his crew are like the vapid characters from an early Bret Easton Ellis novel but who live in Rome instead of LA and are almost five decades older than Less than Zero’s vacuous mob of jaded rich kids.

Jep, of course (despite his uber-cool and calm demeanor) goes on a journey of self-discovery to ponder the meaning of life and lost loves, something we’ve witnessed on screen, stage and the page too many times to mention, but somehow Sorrentino makes it work with the over-the-top set pieces, beautiful cinematography and a brilliant performance from Servillo, which is only matched by the film’s other star – Rome. Never has the city looked this wondrous. A remarkable cinema experience.

Is QT down with Sorrentino’s latest? Who knows? But here’s hoping The Great Beauty sparks an Italian cinema revival that every film lover has been waiting for.

7.5pt Univers 57 Condensed


VISUAL ARTS

The title of the latest project show to open at Anna Pappas Gallery in Prahran is sure to conjure images of artists flocking and gambolling

in open fields: painting, sculpting, filming, arranging bricks, musing with their muses and being generally creative. As stipulated by the gallery’s director Anna Pappas, this display is Free Range.

Yet it would be churlish to approach the exhibition expecting nothing more than a mischievous correlation between artists and chickens. The primary objective of Project 14 is to explore the seemingly immeasurable range of existence in our universe using the creative yield of a select band of contemporary artists. The line-up includes Melbourne residents Emma Langridge, Troy Innocent and Brad Haylock and out-of-towners Rebecca Baumann and Michaela Gleave.

In designing this exhibition, Pappas was inspired by the way in which individual imaginations are driven to visualise the outermost regions of the universe. As she notes, “The universe is mostly unknown, so we can make it up ourselves, in our own minds… It is our space, our experience.” Attempting to condense the immensity of infinite space into the confines of a boutique metropolitan art gallery might initially seem a little hubristic, yet it is here that the artist, with their creative dexterity, plays their part. Having offered participating artists free reign to address the curatorial theme, Pappas drafted them in the role of philosopher-artists. Their brief, to present a snapshot of the universe, chaos and all, in whatever form or method they saw fit.

Free Range at anna Pappas Gallery

by Suzanne FraSer

ProjecT 14

rebecca baumann, reflected Glory #2, 2014, eTc Source Four, mirror, orgigami paper,

mirrored acrylic and wrapping paper.

That is not to say that the gallery’s curatorial team has remained idle in this pursuit. After defining the exhibition’s seemingly infinite parameters (although who knows what would have happened if a four-tonne elephant had entered discussions) and inviting select artists to participate, Pappas – along with her curatorial assistant Tahlia Jolly – determined on a ‘free range’ exhibition environment. While staged in the gallery’s regular premises in Prahran, Project 14 reinvents this orderly art space as a hectic and miscellaneous location.

The placement of Michaela Gleave’s moving projection Eclipse Machine (Blue, Red) (2013) is such that the piece immodestly encroaches on the visual territory of the works displayed around it. The elegant stationary mechanism of Gleave’s work is contrasted with the cyclical, disorienting light that emits from the podium; this illumination falls variously on the surrounding installations, in turn affecting the viewers’ experience of each piece. For Anna Pappas, this is an important aspect of Project 14: “it is breaking bounds”.

On the ground floor of the gallery, Brendan Murphy contributes more disorder in the form of a large concrete wad, entitled Predetermined (2013), which the viewer interacts with by driving it forward with their feet. A light push sends the curvilinear mass on a little circuit of the floor space, although the dimensions of this circuit are dependent on the pusher not the pushee. In this case, the surrounding viewers are more at risk of being encroached upon than the surrounding art – toes, in particular, should beware.

COnTInueS On PaGe 30

320 Bay Rd Cheltenham t: 9583 7577Mon to Sat 10am-5pm Sun 12-5pm

� enqu i r ies@wi thoutp ier.com.au

� www.withoutpier.com.au

Pet

eG

rove

s

Gre

gH

yde 2-16 March

Opens Sunday 2 March 2 – 4pm

Pete Groves & Greg Hyde


VISUAL ARTS

Non-verbalAngelica Mesiti’s The Calling at ACMi

by Suzanne FraSer

Language plays a crucial role in

defining our personal identities – as

citizens of a nation, representatives

of an ethic group, or even members

of a clique. In Angelica Mesiti’s recent video

work entitled The Calling, currently on display

at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image

(ACMI), the diversity of historic communication

methods is highlighted through a study of

ancient whistling languages.

In Mesiti’s video, we are shown that language

is not merely an arbitrary and standardised

device through which humans transfer

messages. Rather, it is a bespoke resource,

born out of precise environmental context and

vital to projecting a sense of self.

Filmed across three locations – in Northern

Turkey, the Canary Islands and the Greek

island of Evia, respectively – Mesiti’s work

documents and creatively interprets instances

of non-verbal whistling language used by locals

in these locations. Accompanied by immersive

sound and shown across three screens in

the gallery, The Calling offers an engaging

viewer experience exclusive of any deeper

consideration of the subject matter.

Yet the combination of subject and medium

in this work compels the viewer to reflect on,

for instance, how and why whistling languages

first emerged and, moreover, how they might

be preserved in an increasingly text-driven

global communications market. The former

question would seem to find an answer in

the source landscape of the whistlers. These

are mountainous terrains in which residents

were historically dispersed, largely through

farming practices, so the high-pitched notes

could carry further and clearer than words.

Not that these non-verbal methods existed in

lieu of verbal language – they served, rather,

as supplementary communication.

This work by Mesiti, who is based in

Sydney and Paris, came about after she

won the inaugural Ian Potter Moving

Image Commission in 2013, which is a joint

initiative by the Ian Potter Cultural Trust and

ACMI. While the video takes its theme from

locations distant to Australia, the links from,

firstly, European immigration to Melbourne

and, secondly, the universality of language

preservation concerns, make this very much a

local work of art. It also serves as a celebration

of both non-dominant cultures and the beauty

of language more generally.

» angelica Mesiti’s The Calling shows at

the australian Centre for the Moving Image,

Federation Square, until July 13.

acmi.net.au

» Project 14 shows at anna Pappas Gallery,

2-4 Carlton St, Prahran, until March 12.

annapappasgallery.com

COnTInueD FrOM PaGe 29

Free Range portrays the universe as

characterised by diversity, sporadic disorder

and metaphysical reflection, the latter of which

is nicely parodied in Will French’s mirrored

work Enquire Within (2014). The exhibition

also reveals one of the primary tensions in

our contemporary awareness of ‘universe’,

that being the interaction between organic existence and synthetic existence. The 1960s

fervour for all things space and alien – and

the pop culture artefacts that it spawned – has

irrevocably shaped popular understandings

of the universe, what it is and what it means.

In Rebecca Baumann’s corner work Reflected Glory #2 (2014), we find a gleaming and

colourful disco cosmos, comprising various

types of vivid surface arranged on the floor

and in turn reflected on the walls. One might

imagine this as an archaeological dig at The

Jetsons’ place.

Additionally, in a suspended tunnel work by Henriette Kassay Schuster and Hermione

Merry, entitled Sternengucker (2014),

the artists include a projected image of a

hooded figure seen within the pupil of an eye,

evocative of footage from Neil Armstrong’s

first lunar promenade. The viewer is able

look towards the figure from either end of a

horizontal fabric shaft, although from both

sides the viewpoint remains from the rear.

Thus the figure is always seen to move away

from the viewer. As a visual exploration

the concept of the ‘event horizon’ – that

being the line between the ‘known’ and

the ‘unknown’ – this work encapsulates

the curatorial motivation of Project 14,

namely that the universe is subjective and

ambiguous.

The seventh in a series of annual

project shows to be staged at Anna Pappas

Gallery, this exhibition – described by

Pappas as “the gallery’s signature for the

beginning of the year” – is less about

sales and more about facilitating artistic

expression. Comprising largely of artists

not represented by the gallery, Project 14 announces the zeal of Pappas and

curatorial assistant Jolly for championing

the cause of contemporary art. Much as

Stephen Hawking champions the cause

of the universe, incomprehensibilities

and all.

Angelica Mesiti, The Calling (production still), 2013 - 2014. Courtesy of Anna Schwartz Gallery. Produced by Felix Media.

2 March – 9 June 2014

www.royalacademybendigo.com

Tickets: 03 5434 6100 Packages: 1800 813 153

Exhibition organised by Bendigo Art Gallery and the Royal Academy of Arts, London

Higher education partner

Frank Cadogan Cowper, Vanity (detail), 1907, oil on panel. © Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photographer John Hammond.


A-Z CONTEMPORARY ART

Helpful hints on how to make your art say NOW. Plus ARTSPEAK

Bonus Pack

EBY JOHN NEYLON

ARTSPEAK EMOEmo has been morphing from 90s rock music into art with the inevitability of cane toads bearing down on Kakadu. Tortured otherness takes many forms so think beyond wide-eyed, downcast waifs. A few Bill Viola videos will give you an idea of how grownups can play the game. Oh what a feeling.

EMERGENT / EMERGINGThere is some agreement that an emerging artist has been practising professionally for � ve years. After that? ‘Emerged artist’ has no currency. Many artists remain submerged across a lifetime of work. That’s a long time to hold one’s breath in the hope of being discovered.

EDGE (AS IN CUTTING)A desirable state for artwork aspiring to be effulgent.

EMPOWERMENTBeing channelled by an artwork for the greater public good. A sweeping claim. Dif� cult to prove but empowered artists are a force of nature.

THE EVERYDAY

Like Buddy Holly said in 1957, ‘ Everyday, it’s a getting closer’. The Everyday is one of the

biggest ideas in contemporary art. Its beauty

is that, like the Twist, anyone can do it.

Start up suggestionGo LOMO. The LOMO camera emerged as a

spy craft tool during the Cold War. Not much

larger than a cigarette packet, this camera

could capture all manner of subjects in varied

conditions. As you sashay across the city you’ll

feel like an MI5 operative on the prowl. A lazy

day of LOMO shooting from the hip could give a

few hundred images, enough for several shows.

Remember the rule: Don’t Think. Consider:

Some clever souls have suggested that LOMO

is an acronym for Lots Of Meaningless Objects.

Why the Everyday?

If asked why you have fi lled a gallery with

odd socks just say that you are closing the gap

between art and life. If pressed try to get the

word ‘quotidian’ into the next sentence. After

that you’re on your own.

Phot

o: J

ohn

Ney

lon

Homeless plinth, Melbourne, 2013

Plinth power

Putting any old everyday object in an art setting is

risky business. Some viewers may not get the ‘art-life’ nexus or appreciate the nuances of ‘implied

narrative conveyed through palimpsests of usage’.

Minimise the risk by visually privileging the object.

Put it in a frame or on a plinth. Don’t worry that

generations of artists from Duchamp have been

onto this ruse. Warning: Beware of being seen as

cynically exploiting viewer desires. Solution: Add a

dash of irony by subverting the plinth. Hack into it

with a chain saw or use unconventional materials

like crushed hoon car hubcaps.

Here’s an idea

‘Step in all the puddles in the city’

Yoko Ono, City Piece, 1963

Your turn

Get with the programEveryone knows about John (‘I have nothing

to say’) Cage’s 4’ 33” performance work. A reminder: it’s a musical composition consisting

of a pianist sitting at a piano, and not hitting any

keys for four minutes and thirty-three seconds.

It was all very Zen. The audience was meant to

vibe with ambient sounds (audience snoring, car

horns and so on). Take this idea for a walk: Make

a sound recording of a walk in which at every

10th step you hit something with a stick (use discretion) or see how much pavement rubbish

you can cram into your pockets on a 30-minute

walk. Go to a pre-selected gallery and walk on

your hands for fi ve minutes. Exhibit whatever

falls out of your pockets. Easy as.

JunkIf your everyday art consists of collecting and

manipulating junk, for heaven’s sake do not refer

to yourself as a junk artist. You’ll immediately be

lumped in with people who make junk critters

and sell them on eBay or Etsy. Suggestion: use

a scatter aesthetic, strewing objects across the

gallery fl oor and up the walls, to create things like

metaphoric gaps, interstices, zones of uncertainty

and slippages much favoured by curators.

Giving notice

Make a determination to notice things such in sitting

on a train and record everything about the third

person to enter a carriage. Caution: Do not stalk.

Playing museumsWhy should (non art) museums have all the fun in

giving everyday things signifi cance? Beat them at

their own game by using similar taxonomic tricks

of display. Think left fi eld. Suggestions: pre-loved

chewing gum, coffee stains, broken toys. Things to avoid: soup cans, doorways, thongs, bottles,

barbed wire, Ukrainian Easter eggs.

Yarn bombing rules

You may laugh but trust me; this art genre is

in its infancy. Just think beyond power poles

and bike racks. Sulo bins anyone?

70 Welsford St, Shepparton VIC 3630p +61 (03) 5832 9861 e [email protected] sheppartonartmuseum.com.au

nick selenitsch.Play

NOW SHOWING

Nick SelenitschHeadless Chooks

(detail) 2008collage and pigment

pen on paper© the artist

70 Welsford Street, Sheppartonw sheppartonartmuseum.com.au p (03) 5832 9861

FREE ENTRYOpen 7 days 10am to 4pmPublic holidays 1pm to 4pm

SAM is proudly provided by Greater Shepparton City Council


TOWN HALL GALLERY

New Ground: Contemporary PrintmakingFeaturing works by elizabeth banfield, Tiziano bellomi (IT), anita Iacovella, Jenny Peterson, bronwyn rees and andrew Totman.until February 23360 burwood road, hawthorntownhallgallery.com.au

HEidE MusEuM Of MOdERN ART

Future Primitiveuntil March 2albert Tucker: explorers and Intrudersuntil March 10Poetry, Dream & the Cosmos: The Heide Collectionuntil May 47 Templestowe road, bulleenheide.com.au

GALLERY LISTINGS

CAMBRidGE sTudiO GALLERY

Sally Garrett: exoticMarch 5 - 2252 Cambridge Street , Collingwoodcambridgestudiogallery.com.au

EdMuNd PEARCE GALLERY

rebecca Dagnall: In TenebrisDaniel Sponiar: yes Chef! (pictured)eva Collins: On a Lazy Summer afternoonMarch 5 - 29level 2/37 Swanston St (cnr Flinders lane)edmundpearce.com.au

fLiNdERs LANE GALLERY

Jo Davenport: Time recalledFebruary 18 – March 8 137 Flinders lane, Melbourne9654 3332flg.com.au

GEELONG GALLERY

ex libris - the book in contemporary artFebruary 22 – May 25little Malop Street, Geelonggeelonggallery.org.au

HAWTHORN sTudiO GALLERY

ryan Foote: Inspirations until Feb 26635 burwood rd, hawthorn east9882 5553hawthornstudiogallery.com.au

iAN POTTER MusEuM Of ART

The Piranesi effectFebruary 20 – May 25The university of Melbourne, Swanston Street, [email protected]

MCCLELLANd sCuLPTuRE PARK + GALLERY

Juan Ford: Lord of the CanopySensory Overload: Karen Casey, George Khut, ross Manning and Kit WebsterMartin Hill: WatershedFebruary 16 – April 27360 - 390 McClelland Drive, langwarrin9789 1671mcclellandgallery.com

MONAsH GALLERY Of ART

WILDCarDS: australian photographs from the MGa Collection curated by bill Henson March 1 - 30860 Ferntree Gully rd,wheelers hill8544 0500mga.org.au

15

6

7

2

3

4

1 4

5

2 3

6 87

9 10

RMiT GALLERY

Music, Melbourne + Me40 years of Mushroom and Melbourne’s popular music cultureuntil February 22Storey hall, Swanston St, Melbournermit.edu.au/rmitgallery

TARRAWARRA MusEuM Of ART

Solitaire and Michelle ussher: yellow eyes burn and returnFebruary 22 – April 27311 healesville-Yarra Glen road, healesvillewww.twma.com.au

WiTHOuT PiER GALLERY

Pete Groves & Greg HydeMarch 2 - 16 Stewart WestleMarch 23 – April 6320 bay rd, Cheltenham9583 7577withoutpier.com.au

8

9

10


FOOD.WINE.COFFEE

Birthday celebrations are in order for

B’stilla. And whilst their fi rst year hasn’t

been without challenges, owner Jason

Jones (Mamasita’s guru) comments

that it’s been an “exciting and rewarding fi rst year

for B’Stilla. However witnessing the number of

restaurants who shut shop in 2013 was daunting

and we had to quickly adapt due to the changing

dining climate.” That meant a simplifi ed menu

with a more relaxed approach to any stiff dining

airs; all things we salute.

Set behind Chapel Street, the bistro is fresh with Moroccan splashes. Think tessellated tiles

and terracotta tones; with a large outdoor

terrace particularly special on warm Melbourne

nights. Propped at the bar seat a diverse bunch:

locals, professionals sipping after work lagers

and hipsters alike. It’s also the best place to

get chatty with the staff who are sociable and

all over the food.

Jones’s menu pulsates with authenticity and dynamic fl avours, in tune with a modern crowd.

Minimising their carbon footprint is priority

as is supporting local producers. Hard to fi nd

ingredients such as rose petals are sourced from

the nearby Prahran market, gamekeepers for

their Aylesbury duck and Gippsland lamb. Food-

wise, start with a number of the ‘small plates’

– they’re fantastic value and whilst the dishes

may be tongue-twisters the fl avours are palate

pleasers. For example the popular street snack,

‘Rghaif’ ($14), similar to a calzone is excellent.

Toasty pastry is packed with spinach, peas, and

artichoke, lifted by refreshing mint. Equally on-

song is the Duck Merguez ($5) a spiced sausage of

Tunisian origin – and yes it packs some fi ery heat.

The signature B’stilla ($14) is a non-negotiable

order. Soft brik pastry comes fi lled with chicken,

tender duck, cinnamon and saffron. It’s made

even richer with eggs and almonds, and fi nished

with a good dusting of icing sugar. What a sensory

interplay of savoury-salty-cum-sweet and a

complete thrill to eat.

You’ll have a tagine, presented in traditional clay

pots; there’s vegetable with fi gs and goats curd for

the vego folk, lamb with apricots or seafood ($34).

Fresh mussels, fl eshy blue cod and octopus swim in a wonderfully fragrant chermoula and saffron

broth. It’s a dish you want to keep diving into, even

with the tough octopus, and best mopped up with

a side of fl uffy cous cous ($6). Even better are the

heirloom carrots, ($8) tarted up with pumpkin

and sesame seeds and a seriously good green chilli

labne. Finger lickin’ brilliance.

Bold fl avours call for thirst-quenching sips.

Disappointingly the wine list is short and steep,

so your best value is one of the house-crafted

cocktails – West Wind Gin with cucumber sorbet,

fresh mint and tonic anyone? Desserts are equally

on theme with a creamy rosewater fl an ($10) and

rockin’ walnut nougatine a standout.

B’Stilla is a modern Moroccan recipe for

success. With whispers of a new tuckshop/

street food venue in the pipeline, here’s to a

swinging fi rst year and beyond.

A year on and B’Stilla has found its groove.

BY MARIANNE DULUK

B’STILLA

» B’Stilla

30b Bray Street, South Yarra

Ph: (03) 9826 2370

Tues-Thurs 5.30pm til late

Fri & Sat 12.00pm til late

bstilla.com


FOOD.WINE.COFFEE

Hawthorn CommonA wholefood philosophy put into action is working wonders at hawthorn Common.

by Marianne Duluk

It’s a recipe for the common good. Danny

Colls (ex-Café Racer and Silo) and George

Sykiotis (Press Club, Hellenic Republic,

Gazi) have recently overhauled the former

Orto café along Burwood Road, into a slick,

sustainable and community minded joint.

“Environmental sustainability and

a complete wholefood lifestyle is our

philosophy,” says Danny, and it’s seriously

impressive to see the chefs milling their own

flour into wholesome breads and pastries,

hand rolling oats, culturing yoghurt for

power-boosting green smoothies and

composting waste wherever possible.

It’s a huge open space, so there’s plenty of

room for your whole crew to enjoy the dark

timber furnishings or leafy outdoor terrace. Decked out with recycled wine crates, here

you can have a potter amongst the kitchen’s

herb garden or join in a spot of yoga on

Saturday mornings.

Locals love the Common Eggs ($18), a

hearty mix of earthy mushrooms, wilted

silverbeet and bacon ‘crumble’ that pack a

serious crunch. It’s virtuous, as is local trout

draped over a savoury ricotta flan ($18) with

house pickled beetroots. Lunch-wise, ensure

you stick your fork into the hearty Ox pie

($18) or a vibrant dish of Carrots ($14)

presented five ways. From pureed, shaved,

pickled and fried, it will have you re-think

the humble veg.

Brilliant Genovese coffee pumps daily with

pour over, drip, syphon and aero press blends

all up for grabs.

These guys care an awful lot about

supporting local producers and setting

an example for the wholefood lifestyle. So support the common good and go. It’s

anything but common.

» Hawthorn Common

302 burwood road, hawthorn, 3122

Mon-Thu 7am-4.30pm;

Fri 7am-late; Sat, Sun 6.30am-6pm

Ph: (03) 9819 2200

hawthorncommon.com

It’s not entirely unusual for Malvern locals

to have the odd facelift, and when it comes

to well-loved local the Livingroom, a few

adjustments bring out its best.

In a corner shop on Claremont Avenue,

Livingroom’s (relatively) new Chef Michael

Harrison is creating the kind of food you’d

expect at a city fine dining establishment. It’s

not surprising given his pedigree – he worked

with Ray Capaldi, Gary Mehigan, Jeremy

Strode, Leigh Dundas (as Chef de Partie at

Attica) and Patrick Craig (at Restaurant Maris)

before a stint as Head Chef at Syracuse.

The tone at Livingroom lies somewhere

between a dinner at a friend’s house (the kind of

friend who has a butler perhaps) and a classic fine

dining experience. The antique-style mismatched

dining settings lend character to the otherwise

reserved, but not stuffy, dining room.

The menu paces through classic European

fare, with a touch of Mediterranean for good

measure. Produce is sourced locally where

possible, and straight from the farmer is the

preference. Rutherglen lamb, Milawa free

range poultry and plenty of other locals have

a direct relationship with Livingroom, and their

produce is showcased very well.

It’s worth mentioning the front of house

team, led by manager Jason De Stefano, a

faultless crew lifting and replacing implements

and foodstuffs (together with a well-advised

glass of wine) with the grace and seamlessness

of a silver-service-trained ghost.

The six-course tasting menu ($90) kicks

off with beef tartare, a pleasing mound of

grass-fed beef with egg yolk, coriander and

» livingroom restaurant and Café

12-18 Claremont Avenue, Malvern

Ph: (03) 9576 0356

breakfast: Saturday - Sunday. lunch: wednesday -

Sunday. Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday

lroom.com.au

Livingroom by lou ParDi

raspberry chips; it’s a refined take on a classic

– and a delight. The theatre arrives with the

soup course – a garden of chicken, crab, sorrel,

shitake mushroom and pork crackling, doused

at the table in a coconut broth.

The smoked beetroot salad with blackberries and goats cheese is good, but dense in flavour

and perhaps a more reserved salad would pave

the way better for the next course. The highlight

of the night is the ocean trout with miso leeks,

cuttlefish, cucumber and corned beef – a perfectly

balanced stack delivering comfort and a medley

of gorgeous textures in each mouthful.

Somewhat of an East Mediterranean curve-

ball in this line-up, the lamb shoulder with

cracked wheat tabouleh, shanklish (cheese),

smoked almonds and lamb jus is excellent. At

course five, you may be wondering when this

generous serve lands how you’ll get through it,

yet the next moment your dish is clean.

Dessert is a duo of milk chocolate mousse

and sweet potato custard on hazelnut crumble

topped with curls of Gianduia (Italian hazelnut

chocolate).

If you’re not after a marathon eating session,

skip the tasting menu and opt for the one course

($35), two course ($50) or three course ($65)

options, or mix and match of your own accord

from entrees (all $19), mains (all $35), sides

(all $9) and desserts (all $17).

Also open for breakfast and lunch. Whether

you’re lucky to call the Livingroom your local, or

it’s a destination to dine, it’s certainly worth a visit.


FOOD.WINE.COFFEE

De Bortoli la Boheme act two Pinot noir rosé 2013

rrP: $20yarra Valley debortoli.com.au

leanne and Steve webber of De bortoli wines in the Yarra valley are champions of rosé. So much so, they started a revolution – the rosé revolution – to encourage the relishing, making and consumption of pale, dry and textural rosé. This all started, as it often does, with the inspiration derived from a bottle of French rosé while holidaying in Provence. This wine, the De bortoli la bohème act Two, keeps their dream alive. Made from 90% Pinot noir with a splash of a few other varieties, it offers a gentle puff of strawberry, rosehip and a red summer berry aromas. True to their maxim the palate is savoury, dry and lovely and well worth starting a revolution for.

Port PhilliP estate salasso rosé Pinot noir

rrP: $22Mornington Peninsulaportphillipestate.com.au

i remember, some time ago, hearing a rock star accept a hall of Fame music award by saying, “it takes a lot of effort to look this casual”. This wine is a bit like that; lots of care and attention backstage to make a perfectly effortless wine on stage. behind the scenes are super vineyards, careful varietal selection and meticulous winemaking. in the glass, the wine offers depth and complexity all wrapped up in a lovely salmon hue. The nose offers a hint of spice and strawberry aromas, reminding me of the lovely pink fuzz off newly made jam. The palate is dry, savoury, textural and delicious. which makes it sound a lot simpler than it actually is, but this of course, is what makes rosé special.

BirD in hanD Pinot noir rosé

rrP: $20adelaide Hillsbirdinhand.com.au

For reasons known to viticulturalists, winemakers and Mother nature only, the adelaide hills and Pinot noir go particularly well together. The higher altitude and cooler climate help to keep the famously wily variety happy so it can produce all of the things that Pinot noir produces well; pretty and beguiling aromas with great complexity and spice… when it’s in the mood, of course. So it’s no surprise that when adelaide hills Pinot noir is made into rosé it is equally enticing, if only in a less complex way. This wine has a particularly pretty nose of strawberries, watermelon, and bright red fruits while the palate is crisp, lively, dry and very moreish.

la linea temPranillo rosé 2013

rrP: $21adelaide Hillslalinea.com.au

Since its first release in 2007, this wine has steadily built a reputation as one of australia’s best rosés. not surprising when you have the cleverness and credentials of the team made up of Peter leske and David leMire Mw, wine industry professionals with a swagger of vintages, qualifications and experience with esteemed producers behind them. every decision here has been scrupulous but i’ll not complicate such a beautiful thing with technical details. This wine is delightful. lovely pale pink, it is dry, savoury, crisp and delicious. brimming with dreamy wafts of red fruit, rosehip a little spice the wine finishes bone dry with lovely refreshing acidity. a perfect wine for pretty much any moment.

It might well be nearing the end of summer

but there’s still plenty of heat to come.

Rosé, that pink wine made from red

grapes, is one of the vinous world’s most

thirst slaking and refreshing wines. See the last

weeks of summer off with a few of Australia’s

most adorable pink wines. Serve ice cold with

a good view and even better company.

Everything’s coming up Rosés

bY andrea Frost


FOOD.WINE.COFFEE

With stores across South Africa,

Namibia and now Abbotsford,

Edgear Weylandts’ furniture

is designed to inspire with its

signature modern designs and sustainable

techniques. Conveying the store’s ethos is their in-

house bistro, The Kitchen. Under the guidance of

dynamic South African chef, Charlene Pretorius,

The Kitchen fuses South African flavours for a

contemporary Melbourne crowd. It’s a beautiful

environment with natural light streaming onto

the sleek, raw furnishings and textured ceramics.

Food wise; dishes are honest and effortless, with

ingredients such as cape spices and rooibos

sprinkled across the menu.

The Kitchen features Maison Estate wines

including their prized Chenin Blanc and

superb olive oils and lemon juice produced

from the Weylandts Franschhoek family

farm, Maison.

The Melbourne Review speaks with

Pretorius about her new project and how she

has transported a little slice of South Africa

to Melbourne.

South African food is often referred to

as ‘rainbow cuisine’, given its variety of

multicultural sources and stages. How

would you best describe the cuisine?

South African cuisine is like a liquorice

all-sort... Absolute dynamite! Each South

African cooking influence is so unique yet the

influences have rubbed off on one another

throughout the years – both locally and on

After launching its first Australian store in Melbourne, South Africa’s leading furniture retailer, weylandts, is set to turn the local industry on its head.

by Marianne Duluk

The KiTchen

Phot

os:

Sha

ryn

Cai

rns

an international level. We know much more

of our own cuisine – the different cultures,

where it originated and its influences – to

form what it is today. Our influences have

come from as far as Malaysia including

Dutch, British, Indian, French and a dash

of Portuguese. However our main ingredient

that has made us unique has come from our

African roots.

Melbourne diners are known for their

discerning palates; how has the reaction

been?

The reviews have been well-received and

extremely positive. Our style is very much

contemporary, with a dash of fusion, making

Weylandts will be hosting a sumptuous

summer harvest event in-store in March. Keep an eye on

The Melbourne review and the weylandts Australia Facebook

pages for your chance to win tickets to this exclusive event.


FOOD.WINE.COFFEE

» The Kitchen

200 Gipps Street, Abbotsford, 3067

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

and Friday: 9am-5pm

Tuesday and Saturday: 10am-5pm

Sunday: 10am-4pm

Ph: 9445 5900

weylandts.com.au

it appealing for the diner to experience new

ingredients balanced with the familiar.

We don’t see a great deal of South

African establishments around town;

what is your secret to promoting a

somewhat ‘exotic’ cuisine?

As we are very much competing with some

of Melbourne’s fi nest, we don’t distinctively

promote it as a South African café. We have

kept a sound balance when it comes to fl avours

and people’s palates. Our secret: keeping it

honest with a zing of South Africa on the plate.

Can you talk us through any specifi c

cooking techniques and interesting

ingredients you have incorporated into

the menu?

The whole trend for 2014 is focusing on

preserving and curing, which has been a

technique that has been quite lost and under-

rated for the past few years. We have been

pickling daikon and a few other ingredients,

which is really exciting.

Do you source much local produce and

does this have an impact on the menu?

We incorporate local produce, as it’s a huge

part of our philosophy and how we accentuate

our food beliefs. We source free-range and

organic wherever possible to encourage

environmental sustainability and a wholefood

lifestyle approach.

Talk us through the ‘Madiba homebrew

burger’, currently on the menu and its

connection with Nelson Mandela.

I was at Federation Square in Melbourne,

watching his memorial and I decided there and

then to dedicate something to this legendary

man! And so the Madiba burger was born.

Essentially boerewors meets chakalaka in a

burger. We use freshly crushed coriander seeds

and a mixture of other spices (which I can’t

speak of as it is part of my great grandma’s

secret recipe). Chakalaka is an African-spiced

bean sauce that the Zulus eat on their bread

and ‘pap’ – a traditional porridge/polenta made

from ground maize.

Who is the Head Chef at The Kitchen and was it diffi cult to fi nd a chef who

shared your vision and enthusiasm for

the project?

Caleb Laws, from New Zealand, is leading

the team. We didn’t specifi cally look for a South

African chef, however, a chef who was well

travelled, with a diverse palate; someone who

could translate our vision on a plate, which

Caleb does tremendously well.

Do you see a difference in Australia’s relationship to food compared with

South Africa’s?

South Africans have become more passionate

about their food over the past decade and we

have really kick-started with a food culture

that is on fi re. Like the Aussies, we live to eat!

What advice would you give home

chefs who are inspired by your style of

cooking?

Keep it simple, use a recipe as a guideline

but break the rules! Cooking is about playing

around and creating your own palate in your

food.

How would you describe the food and

overall philosophy at The Kitchen?

Well let’s try this... fresh, honest, simple and

unique with a dash of fl air.

o g g i w i n e . c o m . a u


FEATURE

Dozens of craft brewing

companies have sprung

up in the past decade to colonise the bottle shop and

your tastebuds. Spanning the breadth

of the country from Perth to Hobart,

Australian beer has a new style: variety.

Your choice is hardly even limited by

the adjectives used to describe them.

Golden, dark, pale, summer, winter, Indian, ginger, white, unfi ltered – the

list goes on.

The big boys have noticed, too, and are

jumping on board. Coopers has always

had a niche in brewing beers slightly off

the beaten track, but with Celebration

Ale and the new Artisan Reserve they are

well and truly establishing themselves

as craft masters.

Melbourne locals, Hawthorn Brewing

Co also make a strong showing this

issue with their newly released Golden

Ale. We spoke to them about tackling

a saturated yet thirsty market as

independent brewers.

So, hop to it and take a peek inside

the new world of Australian brewing,

with technique, style and ingredients

sourced from far away.

NEW SCHOOL Bottle shop racks are no longer stacked solely by the old-school Aussie ales of yore like VB, Fosters or Cascade. Now we see fridges full of cheeky experiments, and styles taken from foreign lands.

BY JOHN DEXTER

BORN, GROWN & RAISED IN THE ADELAIDE HILLS

Artisan by nature, unique in character. Our range of cloudy ciders are made in the Adelaide Hills from hand picked fruit from our family and local orchards. Individually

crafted to create an authentic cider: cloudy, unfiltered, untamed & full flavoured.

For stockists visit loboapple.com Cider with Style

NEW Honey Cyser

For all enquiries please call 1300 HBC BEER (433 233) 1300 HBC BEER (433 233) or email [email protected]


BEER & CIDER

Crafty Coopers Artisan Reserve is the newest addition to the growing Thomas Cooper’s Selection line of craft beers for Coopers.

BY JOHN DEXTER

Coopers managing director, Dr Tim

Cooper, notes that this is “an all-

malt Pilsner crafted with Hallertau

Tradition and Hallertau Hersbrucker

hop varieties, both sourced from Bavaria”.

Indeed, two other hops are used in the beer’s

making, but their identities are under wraps to

prevent imitations of this distinctive release.

“The result is a bright, clear beer that is

golden yellow in colour with an appetising soft

and creamy head. First impressions are citrusy

with a balanced malt character.”

Artisan Reserve sits apart from other pilsners

on the market for a few reasons. Thanks to

Coopers’ tradition and expertise in creating

bottle-conditioned beer, Artisan Reserve is

unpasteurised, unlike most lagers. This leaves

the beer tasting fresher out of the bottle.

The beer also sports a higher alcohol content

than the majority of lagers on the market,

which, aside from adding a touch more kick

to your drink, strongly supports its fl avour

and aroma.

Flavours of citrus, ester and fruit are bolstered

by the use of a specially selected Tuborg

strain of lager yeast in fermentation as well,

reducing the presence of any sulphury notes.

An extended brewing process in maturation

tanks helps to develop this rich fl avour, and

removes the need for pasteurisation.

Tasting notes for Artisan Reserve suggest

seafood, tempura, or bacon and pork sausages

best accompany it.

After the success of Celebration Ale, which shifted 100,000 cases last year establishing

itself far beyond being a simple seasonal

release, this beer is a welcome addition to an

expanding line of craft beers from the South

Australian brewery.

coopers.com.au

17th - 25thMay 2014GALA LAUNCH TIX ON SALE NOW For program launch details head to

GOOGOODDBEEBEERRWEEK.COM.AUWEEK.COM.AU


FEATURE / BEER & CIDER

McLaren VaLe beer coMpany - VaLe aLe IpaA trend you’re seeing in Australia is the iPA [india Pale Ale – heavy on the hops]. i can easily have a session on this iPA from Mclaren vale in South Australia, and recommend it to anyone.

HargreaVes HILL esbThe hargreaves hill eSb [extra Special bitter] is great on a bit of a cooler night, for something a bit more full-flavoured, a bit heavier. The hargreaves hill brewery is in the Yarra valley and they’ve got a restaurant in Yarra Glen where you can go and have a beer – worth seeing if you’re in the area.

MeLbourne bItterThis is the beer i drank when i was younger. it’s an old favourite of mine. (i’m showing my age – all the young kids drink vb now.)

MatILda bay brewIng coMpany - aLpHa paLe aLeThe Alpha Pale Ale won a lot of awards years ago. it’s still a great beer and you can find it on tap.

brew cuLt - Hop Zone sessIon IpaSome young guys just coming into the mix are the guys behind brew Cult. This beer has a great hops flavour and good balance.

soutH east brewIng coMpany - Monster MasH doubLe IpaThis is a phenomenal beer if you can find it. it’s stronger in alcohol and hard to find, but so worth it to chase it down. it was the first beer launched by this brewer and everyone in the industry took notice.

Aussie summer Beers

Top 16

Gabriel Presutto

Australians have always been known for their love of beer, but it’s only been

in recent times that Aussies have become a force on the craft beer scene.

America leads the way in craft brewing, but Australian brewers are catching up. Two years ago I would go to a craft beer show and you might get a couple

of good ones. Now each stall has a beer that’s fantastic. My favourite beer changes day-to-day, season-to-season, here’s my current top 16 Aussie Summer beers.

HoLgate brewHouse - road trIp aMerIcan Ipaholgate’s brewhouse is in woodend. it’s at the end of the train line, so you can get the train, have a couple of beers and come back into town. worth a visit.

MornIngton penInsuLa brewery - paLe aLeThis American-style pale ale is a really good-drinking sessional pale ale, especially in the afternoon.

brIdge road brewers - beecHwortH paLe aLe *This is a simple, easy-drinking Pale Ale with enough flavour to satisfy a craft beer drinker, but good for sessions too.

Moo brew - pILsnerThe Moo brew Pilsner, from Tasmania, is slightly more expensive than other pilsners, but well worth it. it’s got a great, light flavour and makes a great sessional beer.

Matso’s brooMe brewery - gInger beerAlthough this is not technically a beer, Matso’s Ginger beer is simple great, easy-drinking ginger beer. if you’re feeling parched, it’s stinking hot and you don’t feel like a cider, this is great. The ginger isn’t too heavy or hot on the tongue, it’s just refreshing.

MountaIn goat - suMMer aLeThis is a great beer and it’s the first craft beer available in cans - fantastic for when you’re going camping or to music festivals. Mountain Goat first did a limited run of the cans and it’s just gone epic, everyone wants them.

boatrocker - aLpHa QueenAlpha Queen has been around for a while and is one of my old favourite go-to beers. it’s heavy, but still easy to drink on a cool night. Start off with Alpha Queen and your palette will walk up the mountain of hops!

Murray’s craFt brewIng co. - wHaLe aLeThis beer from Port Stephens in nSw has a fantastic name. it’s a really easy-drinking beer that you can easily share with friends. it’s not too heavy and not too light; simple and easy to drink but still offers enough flavour to satisfy.

FeraL brewIng - FeraL wHIteThe Feral white is one of the most awarded white beers in Australia. it’s from wA and not always easy to find but worth getting your hands on. it’s great example of a white beer and good if you feel like a refreshing, fruity, unfiltered beer - something different.

beard and brau - bon cHIens saIsonThis is a French farmhouse ale with a high alcohol percentage. it’s got that lovely sweet and malt flavour to it with a little bit of hops.

theboatbuildersyard.com.au

Gabriel Presutto is General Manager of the boatbuilders Yard at south Wharf Promenade.


HEADER2


HEADER2

kwp!CPR12283


FEATURE / BEER & CIDER

Golden Alehawthorn brewing Co is proud to announce the release of its sixth beer, the Golden Ale.

“We are always looking for gaps in the

market and for new brews to complement

our existing beer styles,” Managing

Director Peter Willis explains. “Golden

Ale is a popular style and, with its lower hop

profile, is very easy drinking. It adds another

dimension to our range and complements our

other lighter style beer [a Czech pilsner] well.”

With German malts, the full-flavoured,

yet easy-to-drink, ale has a sparkling golden

appearance with use of hops from the USA,

the UK and Australia with characters of

passionfruit and tropical fruit. Available from

February 2014, Hawthorn’s sixth beer joins its

flagship Pale Ale, UK-style Amber Ale, Czech-

style Pilsner, Belgian-style Witbier and the

Australian IPA. The Golden Ale continues the

Hawthorn Brewing Co’s motto of utilising the

world’s best brewing styles and techniques.

“It is important to offer a wide taste profile to

give our customers options,” Willis continues. hawthornbrewing.com.au

“The Golden Ale is a step up from our craft

beer entry-level Pilsner. This is important,

as we look to increase the range of styles that

our customers have been exposed to, without

it proving too big a step. It’s all about having

a diversity of products to suit the consumer.”

The Hawthorn lads have taken a different

approach to this release. Traditionally they brew

a small limited release keg run to test the market.

If the market says ‘yes’ then that beer becomes

their seasonal keg/packaged beer for the following

year. However, with the Golden Ale, they jumped

straight into a larger batch of packaged-only beer.

Willis explains: “The keg market is extremely

competitive and we did not want to detract from our

existing four keg products. In addition the feedback

we received from our customers to a packaged

Golden Ale was very positive. Our customers are

very loyal and have been with us for a long time,

so they have confidence in the brews we produce.

This reassurance is very humbling and allows us

to move forward with brews confident there is a

market for them”.

Hawthorn Brewing Co. started in 2008

as a backyard idea of three mates with a

history of home brewing. After living abroad

for many years, the boys experienced first

hand the variety of styles and flavours in the

international beer scene. It was here that the

idea started to take hold.

“We’d had some pretty good results on the

home brewing front [they have run an invite

only beer festival for more than ten years] but

to transition to a commercial brewing company

was a big step... but very rewarding,” Willis says.

While the lads don’t currently have their

own fully operational brewery, they do have

the ‘Hawthorn brew shed’ where Chief Brewing

Officer Hamish Reed tinkers away developing,

tasting and tweaking their many recipes in small

batches. These are then upscaled at commercial

breweries where Reed works with the in-house

brewers to ensure the taste, style and specs

achieved in the brew shed are replicated.

Since its inception, the company has gone

from strength-to-strength gathering a loyal

following of dedicated craft beer fans winning

many awards along the way.

“The support for our beer has been

wonderful,” Willis says. “Consumers, retailers

and venue operators alike have all embraced

our products”.

Hawthorn Brewing Company products are available nationally at all good independent

retailers, Dan Murphy’s, BWS, First Choice

Liquor and Vintage Cellars, as well as your

favourite pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars.

» To See More SoCiAl iMAGeS viSiT MeLbOurNereVIeW.COM.au

DOMAINE CHANDON SECRET

GARDEN PARTY

All was revealed at Domaine Chandon’s

recent Secret Garden Party.

Set on the picturesque property, over 300

guests enjoyed a beautiful summer afternoon

at the Yarra Valley’s favourite winery.

With lush lawns underfoot and a balmy

summer breeze in the air, guests sampled wine

tastings direct from the Chandon cellar paired

with a selection of epicurean canapés created

by Domaine Chandon’s Greenpoint Brasserie.

Guests included Lisa Gorman, Emma

Notarfrancesco, Clare Bowditch, Yeojin Bae,

Emma Clapham and Dani Venn.

FORMD E S I G N • P L A N N I N G • I N N OVAT I O N

THE MELBOURNE REVIEW FEBRUARY 2014

WOMEN IN DESIGN

A new group exhibition at fortyfi vedownstairs unveils the creative practices of 14 of Melbourne’s leading female designers.


FORM

Melbourne has a rich design culture

which is fostered by numerous

degree courses offered by our

tertiary institutions. While the

number of professional female designers

who practice architecture, interior design,

industrial design, landscape architecture,

graphic design and visual art continues to grow, their contributions to shaping our built

environment is less recognised than that of

their male counterparts.

Women In Design is a group exhibition

which unveils the creative practices of 14 of

Melbourne’s leading female designers. Showing

at fortyfi vedownstairs, this two-week exhibition

is presented by the Design Institute of Australia

Victoria Tasmania Branch and is a satellite

event of Melbourne Now.

Debbie Ryan and Sue Carr (interior design),

Helen Watts and Michaela Webb (graphic

design), Kerstin Thompson and Leanne Zilka

(architecture), Penelope Lee and Susan Hewitt

(visual art), Celina Clarke (lighting), Helen

Kontouris (furniture), Jenny Underwood

(textile design), Leah Heiss (interdisciplinary

design), Simone LeAmon (artist and designer)

and Kirsten Bauer (landscape architecture)

have produced designs that are embedded in

the physical and cultural environment of our

city and beyond.

The exhibition features a mix of scale

models, plans and photography of completed

work, audio video installations and samples

of furniture, textiles and light fi ttings. Each

piece tells a story about the designers’ careers.

Highly visible projects include the Westin Hotel

Melbourne, QV2 apartment building and the

Great Petition sculpture which rests in Burston

Reserve behind Parliament House. Other

projects are recognised by their relationship

to cultural institutions such as the National

A new group exhibition at forty� vedownstairs unveils the creative practices of 14 of Melbourne’s leading female designers.

BY DANIELLA CASAMENTO

WOMEN IN DESIGN

» Women In Design shows at

fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane,

Melbourne until February 22.

design.org.au/victas

forty� vedownstairs.com

Trust’s Polly Woodside Gallery.

Clarke’s light fi ttings are found in many

public and private buildings locally and

interstate. “Since establishing ISM Objects in

1990, I have seen many women work in this

fi eld very successfully,” she says. “I would

like to see more women move into the local

manufacturing fi eld with their design work.

With so much manufacturing moving off-shore,

it is important to make sure that we retain skills

in our local manufacturing industry.”

Bauer’s work with Aspect Studios spans

commercial, infrastructure and public realm

projects. Her installation offers an insight

into the design process with images of sites

alongside designs in development and images

of completed projects. Zilka and Underwood’s

video projection details Fibre-architecture,

their highly collaborative practice which

investigates the cross-pollination of textiles

with architecture through new technologies.

Heiss collaborates with experts from a

range of disciplines including nanotechnology,

medicine, manufacturing and computer

science. Her audio visual presentation

demystifies her work at the cutting edge

of hearing technologies, biosignal sensing jewellery and more.

Founder of multidisciplinary firm Carr

Design Group, Sue Carr says Australian design

culture has leapt forward since she began her

career in the early 1970s. She says there is now a

greater awareness that architecture and interior

design are “infallibly linked” which has in turn

“increased expectation on our level of expertise

and the quality of our delivered outcomes. This

has created a greater sense of responsibility

among interior designers and contributed to

building the reputation of interior design as a

worthwhile and recognised profession.”

Kerstin Thompson is one of Melbourne’s

most prominent architects and says the practice

of women in architecture will have evolved

when women are respected as architects, “not

‘women architects’”.

“While there are many women practicing

there is still an inadequate number that are

highly visible as leaders and authorities in

the industry, leaders of practices explicitly

responsible for establishing the agenda and

direction of projects and more broadly the

culture of practice,” she says. “This visibility

is important because it communicates their

role to more people and in turn transforms

expectations around our rightful place in

construction and design.”

The exhibition features biographies of early

Melbourne architects Eileen Good (1893-1986),

Ellison Harvie (1902-1984), Mary Turner Shaw

(1906-1990), Cynthea Teague (1907-2007), and

landscape designer Edna Walling (1895-1973),

courtesy of the Australian Women’s History

Forum.

1. 2. 5.

6.

7.

3. 4.

1. Simone LeAmon, Ricotta 2. Leah Heiss, Drift; 3. Debbie Ryan, Dome House 4. Celina Clarke, Yo 5. Sue Carr, Westin Hotel Melbourne 6. Susan Hewitt and Penelope Lee, Great Petition 7. Kerstin Thompson, Marysville Police Station.


FORM

Somebody Drew That Marketing, branding and true innovation

BY BYRON GEORGE

Marketing and branding. Arguably

the two most important words

in today’s design paradigm. Like

babies on long haul flights or

emails with the word “urgent” in the subject

title, mention of them usually fi lls me with

a fair dose of dread. It’s like somehow, good

design is not enough anymore.

My problem is not with the words or what they

mean. They have long been an important part

of our commercial cultural milieu. If you want

to sell something in an increasingly crowded

marketplace, you had better have a strong brand

position or you’re not likely to make much of

an impact or be noticed. It’s just that branding

and marketing have now been given a value

in themselves independent of what they are

attached to. People talk about brand as if it’s a

thing, rather than a perception of something. In

the past, people would create a great product and

develop a brand around it. Today the reverse can

be true. Branding is often used as a replacement

for innovation. Frankenstein’s Monster has given

birth to a Kardashian.

At its worst, branding is the appliqué of proven

ideologues applied to something based on some

perceived notions of what is the right thing to

do. A collection of ticks on a checklist, responses

from marketing team focus groups. At its most

sinister it’s like putting sulphur dioxide on old

meat to make it appear fresh. It’s gym trained

tanned young models in swim suits selling sugary

drinks to obese people. It’s oil companies with

green logos and ads featuring small children.

At the other end of the scale are companies

» Byron George and partner Ryan Russell are

directors of Russell & George, a design and

architecture practice with offices in Melbourne

and Rome.

russellandgeorge.com Im

age:

Cou

rtes

y of

ww

w.m

ac-h

isto

ry.n

et

who use it to great effect to communicate their

company ethos and get people excited about

what they are doing. It offers a window into a

realm of possibility and something that speaks

about who we are. We don’t think of spending

money when we buy products from great brands.

The important thing is how they make us feel.

People queuing all night at an Apple store for

the latest iPhone, which is almost identical to

the previous one. Spending more than $30 for a

bottle of Aesop hand soap when a $3 bottle from

the supermarket does the same thing. These are

two strong brands that have transformed the

retail landscape and developed a cult following,

not just because they have great product, because

they have managed to cultivate brand advocates.

In the architectural world, branding is a bit

of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it

shows that developers are fi nally realising that

employing good architects and designers on a

job will increase the perceived market value of a

project. This leads to more of our built fabric being

designed by people who are actually trained to do

so (Australia has one of the lowest percentages

of buildings actually designed by architects in

the western world – less than 10 percent). The

problem occurs when this is the only reason

they are employed. The type of scenario where

architects and designers are employed to put their

names on the marketing campaign is a little too

common in this country. Some carefully placed

furniture items and fi nishes from an experienced

hand do not automatically make great places

to live. Ultimately, many of these apartments

are actually designed by real estate copywriters.

There is one company who seems to have

mastered the balance between a commercial

reality and making desirable spaces that are

actually great to live in. Neometro have been

creating apartments of varying scales across

inner Melbourne for more than 20 years.

The design is always fresh, the spaces are

interesting and thoughtful, and even when

they are compact, they are designed in a way

that doesn’t make you feel like you’re living

in a shoe box. As far as a brand proposition

goes, their product is consistent in its standard.

Importantly, design has always been at the

core of what they’re about – it’s not an add-on.

This really goes to the heart of it. Design is

not something that adds value to great brands,

it’s an intrinsic part of them. Brand advocates

demand it.

Original 1984 Macintosh.

Womenin design

FORTYFIVEDOWNSTAIRS 45 FLINDERS LN, MELBOURNETUESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY - SATURDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2014 TUESDAY TO FRIDAY 11AM - 5PM & SATURDAY 12 - 4PM

ARTIST FLOOR TALKS SATURDAY, 15 & 22 FEBRUARY 1 - 2 PM

WWW.DESIGN.ORG.AU/WOMENINDESIGNWOMEN IN DESIGN IS A MELBOURNE NOW SATELLITE EVENT

Print_Ad_Melbourne Review_FA.pdf 1 12/02/2014 11:45 am


FORM

No Fixed Address

by JenniFer CuniCh

If the 21st century is the knowledge age,

then it will also be the century in which

our working habits change and adapt to

reflect the way we see and use knowledge.

Adopting flexible spaces and practices is part

of the rise of knowledge-intensive industries, a

global movement revolutionising the workplace.

Many of these challenge the traditional notion

of the office, by making work process-driven,

rather than a concept determined by place.

One concept which has become increasingly

popular is activity-based work. Activity-based

work (ABW) refers to a workplace environment

where there are no fixed seats, and employees

choose where they will work from a diverse mix of

work spaces. Macquarie Bank was one of the first

companies to adopt the practice only four years

ago. It was quickly followed by several other notable

institutions, such as the National Australia Bank,

GPT, Jones Lang LaSalle and Arup.

The benefits of ABW are many and varied. ABW

workplaces recognise that everyone has their own

working behaviours and offers employees the choice

of various settings for different types of work. For

instance, certain areas would allow task-focused

work in a quiet environment free of distractions,

while others would allow for collaboration.

Moreover, most ABW sites drive staff engagement

by offering a greater number of collaborative spaces

than a typical office layout. Offering a variety of

» Jennifer Cunich is executive Director,

Property Council of australia (Victoria)

propertyoz.com.au

Magic Millions

by enzo raimundo

While it’s no great surprise that

median house prices in many of

Melbourne’s leafy eastern suburbs

top the $1 million mark, the increase in median

house prices across the city in the final quarter

of 2013 added some surprises to the million-

dollar list.

The city’s median house price rose by more

than seven percent for the December quarter,

to $643,000, with the big increase in top end sales helping to push that price up. In fact,

more than 20 percent of all city sales in the

quarter were million-dollar sales, compared

with 16 percent in the September quarter.

Prahran topped the December quarter price

growth list, its median price up 25.7 percent

on the September quarter price to $1,155,000.

But it was Toorak, with a December quarter

median of $2,875,000 – the city’s second

highest after East Melbourne which recorded

$3,200,000 – which was the city’s top growth

suburb for the year. Its December 2013 quarter

median was up 55.4 percent on the previous year.

However this was inflated by the number of sales

above $3 million in the final quarter of 2013.

The closing months of 2013, with interest rates

at record low, a record number of auctions and

a healthy clearance rate average of around 70

percent, saw some suburbs rise above a median

of $1 million for the first time in several years and

one – Williamstown – reach the magic median

figure ($1 million) for the first time ever.

Even Northcote, once the poor relation to

nearby Fitzroy North and Carlton North but

now in the top 10 suburbs for house price

growth, is nudging the million dollar mark

with a median price of $971,500. Bentleigh,

Donvale, Moonee Ponds, and Richmond also

came close.

Having said this, heading into 2014 there

are still a range of areas of Melbourne that are

much more affordable, with these generally

further out from the Melbourne CBD. For

those in the market for an owner-occupier

or investment home at present, the top most

affordable suburbs – based on their median

house prices – include Cranbourne, Wyndham

Vale and Carrum Downs. The most affordable

suburbs for units include Seaford, Frankston,

Sunshine and Noble Park.

If you are house-hunting in the coming

months, remember to do your research with

much of this data (including suburb-by-suburb

information) provided online at reiv.com.

au. And if you find a location you like, it’s

worth broadening your search to surrounding

suburbs, which are often more reasonable and

provide a viable alternative.

Armed with the right information, you can

more easily find the property to best meet your

needs – and one that may well provide a strong

return in years to come.

» enzo raimondo is Ceo, real estate

institute of Victoria.

reiv.com.au

work spaces increases productivity and ultimately

translates to better project delivery. Companies

can also fit 10 to 20 percent more people in the

same building, thereby increasing the value of their

premises.

Another concept that has challenged

traditional notions of the office is the practice of

co-working. The co-working movement, a style

of work that involves individuals from different

organisations sharing one office space, has so

far seen success in parts of the world from San

Francisco to Berlin. Fully equipped with the

infrastructure of a modern office, one of the

most highly valued aspects of co-working has

been the potential to connect and communicate

with those from other disciplines. It comes as

little surprise that this movement has been

quickly adopted by entrepreneurs and start-up

communities around the world.

Of course, the adoption of new working

practices is not without complications. Some

challenges which have emerged include

finding places to store personal effects as well

as implementing ways to find people in an

unassigned environment. On the other hand,

these trends offer a promising vision for the

future of workspaces, namely by offering a more

creative, engaged and sustainable way to work.

The growth of Australia’s service economy

will be one of the major forces that drive

innovation in the 21st century. As ever,

human capital will remain at the centre of this

revolution. It’s little wonder that companies are

finding new ways for enhancing the potential

of their most valuable assets – people.

A un i q ue de s t i n a t i o n o f f u r n i t u r e , h omewa r e s , f a s h i o n and f ood .

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Get ready for the all new BMW 2 Series Coupé that is set to arrive at BMW Melbourne in March. A pure manifestation of BMW distilled in its purest form, the BMW 2 Series Coupé is the epitome of the Ultimate Driving Machine. It is performance times performance, dynamics times dynamics, design times design. It is BMW to the power of two.

To join BMW Melbourne and be among the first to experience its verve, passion and dynamism, pre-order or register your interest at BMW Melbourne today.

Overseas model shown.

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BMW4943_350x270_BMW Melbourne_Melbourne Review_FA.indd 1 6/02/2014 10:24 am

the melbourne review - february issue 2014

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