The Fremantle Festival is a celebration of the city, its people and culture. Returning this October, the ten-day event presents high quality and thought-provoking ticketed and free shows with a diverse program of music, comedy, fashion, performance, visual art and talks.
The inaugural visual arts biennale ‘High Tide‘ will host hosting the best in site-responsive art, engaging audiences by connecting Fremantle’s tidal flow with visual art concepts. Situated in new and found sites around the west end of Fremantle, ‘High Tide’ presents invited local and international artists. Buildings along Fremantle’s West End will be the canvas for Swiss artist Felicé Varini as he brings his internationally-renowned ‘optical illusion’ art, which will span 800 metres along High Street and will only be fully viewable from the steps of the Round House.
Felice Varini, “vingt-trois disques évidés plus douze moitiés et quatre quarts”. Exposition: DYNAMO, 2013, Grand Palais, Paris. Photograph: André Morin
‘Varini creates art that engages the viewer and gets people talking – and that makes him a great fit for the Fremantle Festival,’ says City of Fremantle Public Art Coordinator and High Tide Chief Curator, Corine van Hall; ‘His work will be one of a range of unique and impressive pieces from local and international artists that will be exhibited as part of the 2017 Fremantle Festival, making this a Festival not to be missed.’
Jeesee Lee Johns. Courtesy Fremantle Festival
Additional highlights of ‘High Tide17′ are Perth-based artist Jeesee Lee Johns’ United Federation of Utopias for One (UFO), an embassy for a fictional island nation situated off the coast of Australia. It will be an island for solo habitation; a country for one, with visas to visit the island being issued at the embassy. Fremantle-based artist Ross Potter will create Whale, a life-size graphite sketch of a humpback whale. RAFT, a floating shelter, will be activated as a meeting place and short-term exhibition space that focuses on ephemerality, shifting borders and concerns about changing climates.
Ross Potter, Power Station
‘High Tide17’ will take place at the iconic Round House, the Whalers Tunnel, High St and Mall, Cliff St, Mouat St, the Port Authority Building, Bathers Bay, PS Art Space, The University of Notre Dame, The WA Maritime Museum, The Lysaght Atrium (Quest Fremantle), J-Shed,Blank Space (Mills Record Store), and the Princess Chambers Basement (Kakulas Sister).
With over 60 events and experiences at this year’s festival, City of Fremantle Festivals Coordinator, Kathryn Taylor, says, ‘We’re very proud to bring to life a Festival that will provide a platform for so many levels of creativity and entertainment. Whether you want to immerse yourself in visual art, absorb some of the best Australian music or bring your family to Fremantle for a day of fun, the 2017 Fremantle Festival really does offer something for everyone.’
Fremantle Festival is an annual initiative of the City of Fremantle and will run for ten days from Friday 27 October to Sunday 5 November 2017. A full program of events can be found at www.fremantlefestival.com.au
