Australia now
Germany 2017
Cultural Exchange
Australia now
Germany 2017
Australia now is a long standing initiative of the Australian Government to showcase the creative excellence, diversity, and innovation of Australian life in one focus country each year. In 2017 Germany will host the Australian cultural year.
From February to November 2017, at multiple locations across Germany, Australia now will present audiences with the opportunity to experience the range and complexity of Australian culture, explore issues of international significance and find ways to deepen the connections between the communities.
Current and Upcoming Highlights:
Eight prominent Australian visual artists exhibit at Berlin Arndt Art Agency a show curated by Del Kathryn Barton. “Mad Love” deals with topics such as instinct and physicality. In September contemporary photographers show “Wall Power” at Michael Reid Gallery, interpreting Australian national identity. The International Literature Festival Berlin (ILB) will present a great variety of contemporary prose and poetry from all over the world. The following Australian authors will be participating in the festival this year: Omar Musa, Winner of the Australian Poetry slam at the Sydney Opera House 2009, Brian Castro, who´s most recent novel extends beyond the formal borders of this genre and Charlotte Wood, winner of the Stella Prize for ’The Natural Way of Things’.
As a highlight in the fall, the world-famous indigenous contemporary dance company Bangarra Dance Theatre presents OUR land people stories at Berliner Festspiele, followed by a special exhibition of contemporary indigenous art at me Collectors Room, a collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia.
Past Highlights
Coming together for the first time, the Sydney Youth Orchestras and Junges Ensemble Berlin provided a wonderful evening of music presenting the Shostakovich Symphony No. 11, Kodály Dances of Galánta, and movements 2 and 10 of Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition.
Four Australian contemporary art production were part of this year’s festival Theater der Welt (World Theatre); “Five Short Blasts” by Flynn & Humphrey, “An Act of Now” by Chunky Move / Anouk van Dijk, “Lady Eats Apple” by Back to Back Theatre / Bruce Gladwin and Flyway by Aphids.