This week I spoke with emerging artists Ponie Curtis and Phuong Nguyen Le, who have both recently graduated from their respective arts courses at VCA and RMIT. Joining us was Audrey Thomas-Hayes, one of the curators of DEBUT XX and artistic director at Blindside. DEBUT is Blindside Gallery’s annual exhibition of works by recent graduates from Naarm / Melbourne’s major art institutions. Celebrating its twentieth year, DEBUT is a Blindside project committed to fostering new talent. Art Smitten air...
Apr 08, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Did you know that 2024 marks 100 years of Surrealism? I dive into the birth of Surrealism and introduce you to the terms, techniques and artists that work within the movement. Art Smitten airs on SYN Radio 90.7 FM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 28, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 5
I interviewed contemporary textile and embroidery artist and good friend, Louise Meuwissen. Louise and I chat about her practice in art and fashion, the art world and it’s structures and our shared love of collecting second-hand objects. A big thank you to Louise for inviting me into her space and facilitating such an interesting chat ❤️ Art Smitten airs on SYN Radio 90.7 FM SYN Media acknowledges and pays respect to the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern K...
Mar 28, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This week I had the pleasure of speaking to local artists Jermaine Ibarra and Juliet Phraser about their exhibitions at Bus Projects. Jermaine Ibarra and Sara Jajou have a duet exhibition opening today, the 27th of March, titled Love Song open till the 20th of April. https://busprojects.org.au/program/love-song Juliet Phraser has a solo show opening today, the 27th of March, titled Warm Water where she shares her honours research - open till the 20th of April. https://busprojects.org.au/program/...
Mar 27, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Ever wondered why art galleries have plain white walls, bright white light, and simple minimalist decor? This interior practice has been labelled the ‘white cube’ by art writer Brian O’Doherty in his fundamental 1976 text, ‘Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery Space.’ This week for our art history segment, Audrey dives into the concept of the 'White Cube' gallery interior, and why we now use it globally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 04, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 3
This week our new Executive Producer, Audrey, delved into Romanticism and the Sublime, starting with history of the movement and then discussing Neo-Romanticism in art. Ending with an idea of a 'New Romanticim' in contemporary Australian art, one that you can take with you on your upcoming gallery visits. Artworks discussed in this segment were: Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818 Théodore Géricault, Raft of Medusa , 1819 Henry Moore’s graphic drawings of war-time air rai...
Feb 16, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Hour of the Wolf creator and director Matthew Lutton joined Zack and Josh to discuss the immersive theatre production. A follow-up to 2021's Because the Night , Hour of the Wolf invites audiences to walk around the town and experience mystery first-hand. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 22, 2023•9 min
Jye Walker, actor behind the devilish Captain Hook in The Mount Players Theatre Company's musical rendition of Peter Pan, joined the show to talk about playing the classic villain. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 22, 2023•8 min
Comedian Jude Perl joined the show to talk about her new record and web-series SugarHope Records. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 22, 2023•13 min
Zack and Josh were joined by Naarm-based artist, performer, and dancer MaggZ to talk about their instillation at the Immigration Museum, New Reality. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 22, 2023•11 min
Nick recently watched Filterphonic and Sexagenarian , two films by Melbourne-based filmmaker Lee Galea. Find Nick's thoughts here, and make sure to check out our interview with Lee on the production of the films. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 17, 2023•5 min
Head First Acrobats are a Melbourne based theatre company putting on head-spinning shows this Fringe Festival. Company manager and producer Thomas Gorham joined Zack and Ben to talk about Head First Acrobats shows Godz , PreHysterical , and Crème de la crème. Godz takes a comedic spin (emphasis on the spinning) to Greek mythology, PreHysterical offers a show for the younger crowd and Crème de la crème features various artists from Fringe Festival in one cabaret show. You can listen to Art Smitte...
Sep 27, 2023•10 min
Abigail Banister-Jones returns to the SYN studios, this time to talk about her one-woman show The Story of Cerberus: A Very Good Boy . Set in the fantastical world of Greek mythology, Cerberus stars Abigail playing all three heads of the guardian of the Underworld. She sat down with Zack and Ben to talk about creating and performing a solo show, characterising the three heads of the monstrous dog, and of course the pets that inspired the show. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday fr...
Sep 26, 2023•11 min
Composer Alice Chance spoke to Zack about her upcoming performance Heirloom . Part of Rubiks Collective's Towards Home , Heirloom is about capturing the relationships between mothers and daughters through music. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 22, 2023•9 min
Shakespeare's stories are timeless, being retold and adapted for new audiences constantly. Matthew Connell, a member of Melbourne Shakespeare Company, is playing Brutus in a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar . Zack talked to Matthew about his relationship with the poet's works and what it's like to take on iconic roles in the present day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 22, 2023•10 min
Lee Galea is an award-winning Australian indie filmmaker. Known for films such as Monster Pies and The Neon Spectrum , and current director of queer TV series Single, Out , Lee's work has been shown all around the world. Zack joined Lee to talk about his latest film release, Filterphonic and Sexagenarian . You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 22, 2023•14 min
Zack and Ben joined Brandon Pape, artistic director at Antipodes Theatre Company , who talks about adapting the classic show Guys and Dolls . You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 22, 2023•13 min
Ben was joined by Dr. Paul Mason to talk about the Australian comics industry and his work on The Phantom . Paul talks about his history in the industry and what it's like working on such a popular character. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 12, 2023•13 min
Comics artist Daniel Picciotto spoke to Zack about his time in the industry and the many stories he's worked on. Daniel is currently an artist on Marvel's Ghost Rider and previously worked on Phantom . You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 12, 2023•5 min
Zack sat down with Scott Wilson at Metro Comic Con to talk about the Indigiverse : The oldest living cultures inspiring the newest living heroes. Scott talks about his own love of comics and the stories that inspired him to create the first Aboriginal superhero universe. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 12, 2023•11 min
Zack sat down with conjurer Josh Staley to talk about his Melbourne Magic Festival shows, Quicker than the Eye and Up Late, Up Close . Josh gives a small peek into the world of magic and talks about what people can get out of learning to become a magician. You can find Josh Staley at joshstaley.com or Instagram @josh_staley You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
Jul 03, 2023•19 min
Zack and Ben join game designer Michelle Chen to talk about her upcoming exhibition Mini Melbourne. Part of the Immigration Museum's Culture Makers program, Mini Melbourne invites people to create a digital avatar to explore a virtual city and interact with others. You can find Michelle Chen's work at https://purplelilgirl.com/ and @itsmichellechen You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.co...
Jun 15, 2023•8 min
SYN's News & Content producer and executive producer of Loud & Queer sat down with author Daniel M. Lavery about his new book, Dear Prudence . Drawing on his days as Slate's advice columnist, Lavery's book is filled with all sorts of advice and wisdom. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 30, 2023•20 min
Maleik Njoroge, designer and chess fan, joined Zack in the studio to discuss Chess Without Borders at the Immigration Museum, and the design potential chess holds. You can find Maleik's work at https://www.instagram.com/_alltribesarebeautiful_/ Tune into Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 29, 2023•8 min
Zack and Ben spoke to ØFFËRINGŠ, artist and founder of Unite Play Perform, about her design week installation Design Your Own Universe. You can find Unite Play Perform on Instagram . You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 29, 2023•12 min
Benjamin sat down with artistic director of the Children's International Film Festival ( CHIFF ), Thomas Caldwell, to chat about developments in cinema and programming for children. To find out more about CHIFF go to https://www.chiff.com.au/ . Art Smitten airs live every Saturday from 12pm. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram, @artsmittensyn Find us on SYN at http://syn.org.au/show/art-smitten/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
May 13, 2023•18 min
Ai Yamamoto and Dan West are musicians, instrumentalists, producers, composers and educators. Ai collects sounds from field recordings, sounds from our daily lives and game sounds, creating textures and flowing melodies in her work. Dan fuses sounds from both people and machines from within his custom shipping container sound lab. For Art Smitten, we spoke with them about their upcoming performance at the Neon Parlour art gallery over in Thornbury for this year’s Spring Darebin FUSE festival. Th...
Sep 07, 2022•20 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Here at Art Smitten, we chatted with local Naarm filmmaker Lucie McMahon about her documentary film, Things Will Be Different . The film explores community, the impact of losing one’s home and the important role that public housing plays in so many people’s lives. The film follows residents who are forced to relocate from the Walker Street estate in Northcote after it is sold for private development. The first screening of the film which includes a walking tour will take place on Saturday the 10...
Sep 07, 2022•10 min•Season 3Ep. 7
From the flagship youth arts organisation Western Edge comes Distortion - a genre-ending and time trippy production that will be unlike anything you have seen before. Distortion will be playing at Wyndam Cultural Centre, Footscray Community Arts Centre and the Bowery Theatre in St Albans from the 3rd to the 17th of September. We chatted with lead artist Clarisse Bonello and co-artistic director John Marc Desengano all about Western Edge and the upcoming Distortion . For more info and to book tic...
Aug 31, 2022•18 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Joseph O'Farrell (JOF) is a Melbourne/Naarm based artist and the creative director of White Night. Known for his own large-scale installations focused on accessibility and inclusivity, JOF’s aim with his work is to develop art that adds value to the community. Here at Art Smitten, we spoke with him about an event that does just that. White Night is a celebration of arts, culture and community. It will take place in Bendigo on Saturday 3 September and over in Geelong on Saturday 8 October. Don’t ...
Aug 20, 2022•10 min•Season 3Ep. 5
