This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Mapping Melbourne Set To Bring Asian Art Alive At City's Landmarks

Asian Art To Come Alive At Some Of Melbourne's Most Famous Landmarks

Some of Melbourne's most iconic landmarks are set to act as the stage for a series of multi-artform, Asian-themed events taking place throughout the city from December 2.

Now in its third year, "Mapping Melbourne" is a four day showcase of both local and international talent, with over 100 artists from across Australia, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, East Timor, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam scheduled to perform.

Thirteen venues, including Federation Square, the State Library of Victoria and the Immigration Museum, will host the events, which incorporate theatre, music, dance and live art.

"Mapping Melbourne covers different crevices of Melbourne and is basically about showing the city of Melbourne extraordinary, contemporary Asian art and culture," Multicultural Arts Victoria CEO, Jill Morgan, told The Huffington Post Australia.

"We have a mix of local and international artists. It's a real combination, and what’s even better is it's grown every year, so we're going from strength to strength.

"We have so many extraordinary Asian artists in Melbourne who need to be profiled -- the talent we have here is phenomenal."

'The Barberettes' -- a Seoul band specialising in ’50s and ’60s American and Korean pop music -- will be the first live act to kick off festivities on Wednesday at the Summer Night Market.

Other acts include an immersive musical experience from NovaLaya, performances from Shanghai music producer Ma Haiping with Victoria Chiu and Mindy Meng Wang, and a series of ‘pop up’ pieces by My Le Thi, Minh Phan and Khue Nguyen commemorating the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, to feature as part of the artists’ exhibition at Steps Gallery (9-16 Dec).

"I think it's a fantastic way to showcase Asian art," Phan told HuffPost Australia. "For us, it has been a great way to examine the consequences of war on human lives.

"A lot of the Vietnam War has been seen -- certainly in Hollywood and in also other media -- as an American war, a war between soldiers. We wanted to see the impact of civilian lives and that's what our piece explores. It's fantastic that we can bring that to an Melbourne audience."

Mapping Melbourne is supported by Multicultural Arts Victoria. Check out the full program here.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.