Is it a bird, is it a plane? Is it a bunyip, mulyawonk, wilder man, yeti, boogie man, nuuttipukki, urati, cerbul, merdules, urtzu or domadores?
A celebration of our cultural connection to country, River Rites combines extraordinary disguise making from repurposed materials found on Berri/Barmera farms and natural environs to create ‘Creatures of Havoc’ who will be filmed, photographed and perform.
In 2015, these ‘Creatures of Havoc’ will move from the Berri central streets to the Riverland Field Day in Barmera and culminate in a participatory installation at the River Lands Gallery.
River Rites celebrates the ‘spirit of place’ for Murray River communities – its geographies, time cycles, stories, cultures and people.
It draws on the worldwide cultural tradition of exhibitions and performances tied to seasonal revolutions, cyclical change and folklore in the form of elaborate disguises and publicly celebrated rituals. These rites link residents to their past and a future where their resilience is feted and their spirit of place is ‘unleashed’.
River Rites is such a gathering – a contemporary and localised invention of
a rural rite that allows the imagination to run wild. It resists the industrialisation of human spirit while joyfully honouring the resilience of Australian rural communities.
Open Workshop 1 – River Lands Gallery
With Robyn Andrews, Lorraine Marter, Glenys Leske & Ruth Pech
Work with top designers, fibre artists and disguise makers to design and construct a ‘Creature of Havoc’ disguise with fibres, fabrics, farm materials and a whole lot of fun whilst sharing your story of change.
Open Workshop 2, 3 & 4 – Riverland Field Days
With Nici Wright, Robyn Andrews, Lorraine Marter, Glenys Leske & Ruth Pech
Help make incredible disguises and wearable art at the Field Day with top designers, fibre artists and disguise makers.
With Jude Anderson and Jessica Foster.
Model incredible disguises and wearable art for photo portraits and others’ selfies in our studio at the Field Day with top performance directors.
With one of Australia’s top photojournalists, Julie Millowick.
Photograph incredible disguises and wearable art in our photo studio.
TAKE PART
Free open workshops
Be part of one or all four open workshops to help create, model or photograph these ‘Creatures of Havoc’
Open workshop 1
When: 10, 11 & 12 July, anytime from 1 – 5pm
Where: River Lands Gallery, 23 Wilson Street, Berri
Open workshop 2, 3 & 4
When: Saturday 19 September, anytime from 9am – 5pm
Where: Marquee Pavilion, Riverland Field Day, Sturt Highway, Barmera
Installation & exhibition
Come to the Creatures of Havoc interactive installation and exhibition opening. See the results of the paparazzi, be part of the havoc, interact with the people and poses that have been brought together for the River Rites Creatures of Havoc exhibition opening.
When: Friday 25 September, 6pm
Where: River Lands Gallery, 23 Wilson Street, Berri
Exhibtion open: 26 September – 4 October
Gallery open: Tuesday – Friday, 10am – 4pm & Saturday, 10am – 1pm
How you can help us
Help us by hoarding materials such as nylon string fruit bags, industrial wrapping plastics, strips of plastic drip irrigation piping, tyre inner tubes and old canvas water bags. You can also share your ‘story of change’ with us. Email your contact details to robyn.andrews@tafesa.edu.au and we’ll organise collection of your items and stories.
Image: El Nino Havoc. Photo by Julie Millowick.
02. 11. 2015
River Rites 2015 Video Gallery
Punctum Inc. got creative and put together some short videos showcasing the amazing disguises that were created as part of their latest project, River Rites. Through the talents of Jude Anderson, Julie Millowick, Nici Wright and a host of local artists, seven Creatures of Havoc were created , photographed and exhibited in the Berri/Barmera region. […]
