In this next installment of visual sociology, we journey from January to February 2015 with many festivals in between. A celebration of Aboriginal resilience, public art of Summer Salt, the Lunar Festival, and Melbourne’s White Night Festival. We also revel in a little international art and the irreverent David Shrigley. Let’s begin with the sociology of play.
Jam Master Jay
Jam Master Jay, Run-DMC. Street art in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia. 3 January 2015
Buddhism at Federation Square
Go sociology of religion! Melbourne was excited about this free public talk on Buddhism and meditation by Gen-la Kelsang Dekong. Held at Federation Square. 4 January
Artist: Jason Perilino. Check out his Instagram.
The Art of Zhen Shan Ren International Exhibition
I spoke with the woman running the information table for the exhibit. She says the artists are exhiled from China or otherwise persecuted for their religion. I’m interested in the art as much of it depicts political protest, human rights abuse and the diaspora (community of people who are geographically dispersed largely due to war or disaster). The lady gave me this flower that depicts her religion of Falun Dafa: truthfulness, compassion, tolerance. She is Anglo Australian. 11 January 2015
Sociology of play
Carsten Holler Golden Mirror Carousel (2014). 17 January 2015
Wominjeka Festival 2015
Celebrating Indigenous Australian culture in West Melbourne in Footscray. 17 January 2015
How over population changes the world
The lights in this display Museum of Victoria display represent areas where there’s more than 1 million people. This visualisation educates on the ecological impact of population growth on the environment and climate change. Not represented is the sociological impact. Research shows that loss of ecological diversity is correlated with loss of linguistic diversity. As areas are deforested, mined and otherwise plundered in unsustainable ways, Indigenous groups that live in harmony with that ecosystem are pushed out into urban areas. Their culture and environmental knowledge is lost. 18 January
Visual Sociology of Cars
There are 17.6 million motor vehicles registered in Australia according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with 4.5 million of them in Victoria. I visited the Hot Rod Show earlier this year, where they played music like Highway to the Danger Zone, the theme song from Top Gun. Lots of families enjoyed the cars and beautiful, hot Melbourne sun. 24 January
David Shirgley: Art and Life
David Shrigley, Art and Life exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. 1 February
David Shirgley, Life and Drawing Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Melbournians of all ages sit together to do some life drawing of a statue. David Shrigley, Life and Drawing Exhibition, held at the National Gallery of Victoria.
David Shirgley, Life and Drawing Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. 4 January
Melbournians of all ages sit together to do some life drawing of a statue.
David Shrigley, Life and Drawing Exhibition, held at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Summer Salt
Summer Saltis an outdoors arts and music festival happening all around Southbank, which is Melbourne’s Art Precinct. There’s bands, dance, movies, theatre and even circus performances. The festival is part of a long-term investment by the city to revitalise the Precinct in support of our local artists and culture. Here’s a cheeky bee, one of the various inflatable “creature features” that are installed into our key arts buildings. This is Bumblebee, designed by artist Felipe Reynolds and theatre director Ed Boyle. The festival ends on the 21st of February. (11 February)
Happy Lunar New Year!
White Night Festival
Beautiful sight: Melbournians out in droves on Swanston St, for Lunar New Year and White Night. 21 February 2015
The Other Sociologist 