‘Undercurrent 19’ is the second edition of the Fremantle Biennale, which showcases experimental site responsive work across the city between 1 and 24 November from Australian and international artists at varying stages of their careers.
The festival has commissioned 15 new works to be explored on the streets and in Fremantle’s institutions, such as a collaboration between The Commonwealth of New Bayswater and Jessee Lee Johns who present the ‘South Mole Resort’ a hub of touristic consumption where you can be pampered, stay the night or simply shop for a souvenir and Bennett Miller’s historical and topographical response to the port city with a series of performances in ‘Behavioural Ecologies (Red)’. Indoors at the WA Maritime Museum we find Kelsey Ashe Giambazi’s exploration of the pearling industry, which personalises the sometimes-dark history.
Bennett Miller, Behavioural Ecology (Red). Courtesy the artist and Fremantle Biennale, Western Australia
An international highlight is ‘Waterlicht’ by Studio Roosegaarde, Netherlands, who will focus on the climate change crisis in its Southern Hemisphere premiere. Of course there is much to explore and we encourage you to enjoy other disciplines like contemporary dance from Sete Tele and Brooke Leeder & Dancers, composer Lawrence English and ‘UNIT’, a trail of architectural and landscape installations.
Diverse programming is also on offer, from Fervor is a unique dining experience, ‘Midnight Blue Lagoon’ presents a series of Sunday dance parties and ‘MAKING: a Living?’ is a symposium exploring the relationship between artists and their supporters.
