Prizes, pelicans and postal ballots. Grab a paddle for this week’s Backyard Opera Culture Guide as we take you up the Cooks River and across Sydney for the latest in this city’s creative scene.
The Cooks River?
Snaking its way from Sydney Airport to Punchbowl, the Cooks River has a long history intertwined not only with the present city of Sydney but the many indigenous people who lived in the river’s catchment. This exhibition at the Bankstown Arts Centre seeks to uncover the lived history and experience of twelve Aboriginal people who are connected to the river, known as Goolay'yari. Commissioned by the Cooks River Alliance, the exhibition includes portraits and oral histories as well as abstract images and natural soundscapes of the Cooks River.
To the inclusion of all others & Geometric Asylum
With the deadline for marriage equality postal ballots to be posted ending last Friday, November at Verge gallery sees artists reflect on queerness outside of traditional ceremonies or rituals instead looking at everyday practices in the face of political attack. In gallery two, Lachlan Anthony comments on how public space has been weaponised for power and control.
Fisher’s Ghost Art Award
This annual acquisitive award presents artworks across eleven categories, including traditional, contemporary, sculpture and photography. The prize coincides with the Fisher’s Ghost Festival, which includes street fairs and parades throughout Campbelltown.