MONUMENTAL VISUAL PROJECT WILL LIGHT UP ARTS ABLAZE

A visual spectacular featuring the stories of Indigenous Elders and Scenic Rim residents' musings on the meaning of home is set to light up the Arts Ablaze conference and celebration in October.

Internationally-renowned artist Craig Walsh has been working with Kooralbyn residents and the Indigenous community to produce his projections of HOME and MONUMENTS for Arts Ablaze, to be held at the Ramada Resort Kooralbyn Valley from 2 to 6 October.

Using an empty shop donated by Kooralbyn businessman Pete McKenna as a temporary film studio, Craig created video portraits of individuals talking about their perceptions of 'home'.

More than 30 community members, including six local Indigenous Elders, took part in the project over two days and were filmed telling their stories.

These videos will be projected on to the rammed earth walls of the Ramada Resort each night during Arts Ablaze.

The MONUMENTS projection project presents a haunting picture of the synergy between the human form, the natural environment and the act of viewing where moving images transform trees into sculptural monuments.

Local Elder Uncle Bevan and artist and performer Stacie Fogarty assisted Craig Walsh in creating a work which aims to challenge the traditional expectations of public monuments represented in civic spaces.

These portraits will be projected on to large trees at both the opening event of Arts Ablaze at Bromelton House and at the Kooralbyn Ramada Resort nightly during the festival's celebrations.

Craig Walsh will be mentoring young artists from around Queensland during Arts Ablaze and, as a as a legacy artwork, video portraits of both projects will be gifted to the Scenic Rim community.

• Arts Ablaze is funded by the Australian Government through the Building Better Regions Fund, Festivals Australia and Regional Arts Fund.
• Arts Ablaze is supported by the Queensland Government through the Regional Arts Services Network, the Queensland Arts Showcase Program and the Regional Arts Development Fund which is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Scenic Rim Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
• Arts Ablaze is an initiative of Scenic Rim Regional Council.
• Arts Ablaze is made possible through Australian Government Regional Arts Fund funding provided through Regional Arts Australia and administered in Queensland by Flying Arts Alliance.
• Arts Ablaze is supported by the Ramada Resort Kooralbyn Valley, Artour, Central Queensland University and Arts Front.

Photo: “Monument, 2018, Craig Walsh, Botanica 2018, image courtesy of Brisbane City Council”