Sydney to Adelaide and Back

Here’s a visual sociology of September 2016. We begin with an eternal legend before losing our souls in a consumer fortress in Western Syndey.

The timeless David Bowie. 3 September 2016

Festival of Chocolate, 11 September

Do you like an abundance of people so much that it’s difficult to walk? Do you fancy the idea of chocolate immersion, quite possibly leading to a sugar-induced coma? Welcome to Sydney’s Smooth Festival of Chocolate. at the Rocks, Sydney. Part of my participatory visual ethnography. My field notes say they are amazing and worth your follow up qualitative analysis.

I come for the visual sociology. I stay for the cacao.

Alfajores at the Festival of Chocolate? I’ll take it!

Consumerism

Dear people – I’m in the panopticon. 17 September 2016

Sometimes you just have to hang umbrellas with plants from the roof of a giant shopping centre.

Hello consumerism. 17 September 2016

Let’s Go Greek Festival

The Let’s Go Greek Festival got rained out. 18 September

Greek ladies making loukoumades (Greek donuts) in the rain. They were raising money for their church charity.

Sociology of Hotel Art: Adelaide

It’s the return of Sociology of Hotel Art! Nothing says “Adelaide” like waves rushing urgently off a cliff.

Hotel art on another level! Winter Transcending to Earth / Summer Nights/ Artist’s Palette of Springtime. Art by Marc Spurgin.

Aboriginal Flag on the Rundle Lantern

Yes that’s the Aboriginal flag all lit up on the Rundle Lantern in Adelaide. The lights are made from 748 panels of LED. 21 September

Travels in Adelaide

Peacock on the wall. 21 September

Italian Film Festival, Sydney

24 September 2016

Welcome to Gadigal Land

25 September: “Welcome to Gadigal land.” The Sydney Opera House plays an Acknowledgement of Country to the traditional land owners, who are one of 29 Aboriginal clans of the Eora Nation, the First Australians from this part of Sydney. This is an especially useful educational landmark for visitors and international tourists.

At the same time, these plaques along the pathway leading to and from the Sydney Opera House along The Rocks read “1788 shoreline.” This date marks the arrival of Europeans in Australia, which is how the signs are meant to be read, but they are also markers of colonial invasion. As a city and as a nation we sit uneasy with this violent history and its ongoing injustices.