Returning this spring is Bundanon Trust’s annual SITEWORKS on Saturday 23 September, with the theme ‘The Birds & the Bees’. Held at the iconic heritage site of Bundanon Homestead near Nowra NSW – former home and studio of leading Australian painter Arthur Boyd – the event will bring together artists, scientists, environmentalists, scholars and community voices for an interesting weekend of quirky festivities.
Visitors are invited to camp overnight on the scenic properties of the Bundanon sites in south where they can enjoy a series of presentations and discussions that centre on the subject of sex and reproduction.
Deborah Kelly, The Births of Beenus
In explaining SITEWORKS’ overall theme, Deborah Ely, CEO of Bundanon Trust says, “The birds and the bees have captured our collective imagination for millennia so this year’s event promises to be an intriguing mix with suggestive connotations woven in. There’s a palpable sense of anticipation as the artists, scientists and community members involved unveil their personal responses to the theme and property.”
Jody Graham, Bower 2. Photograph: Keith Maxwell
Select invited artists across all disciplines have created a range of site-specific works that interpret and explore the chosen theme. Artists include; Anna Noble, Kath Fries, Mike Leggett, Sue Broadway, Elia Bosshard, Alyson Bell, Courtney Coombs, Jody Graham, Nigel Helyer, Katia Molino and Michael Cohen.
Kath Fries, ApriCentric
Live performances and installations will adorn the grounds of Bundanon Homestead, creating a bustling hive of pure sonic experiences inspired by the natural environment. For the kids, curated activities include a beeswax candle-making workshop, life drawing sessions and the opportunity to offer up some poetic lines on the wings of paper bees.
Siteworks 2016, Bundanon
Keeping the conversation flowing, science journalist and ABC broadcaster Robyn Williams will speak with expert wildlife ecologists, neuroscientists, leading academics and representatives of the local Indigenous community about birds, bees and behaviour.
For a fun, kooky adventure this weekend, check out the full program here.
