Press release - Brisbane Powerhouse

DATE: Monday 30 March 2015
PLAY WITH VIDEO GAMES, VIRTUAL REALITY AND ELECTRONIC ART AT NEW FESTIVAL
Brisbane Powerhouse presents IRL Digital Festival: interactive art and gaming playground.
Virtual reality, laser shows, video games, electronic art, and a beatboxer clashing with an orchestra – these are just
some of the experiences on offer at the inaugural IRL Digital Festival from Thursday 7 to Sunday 17 May 2015 at
Brisbane Powerhouse.
According to Brisbane Powerhouse Artistic Director Kris Stewart IRL Digital Festival is for anyone interested in
video games, pop culture and electronic art.
“IRL Digital Festival celebrates digital culture; we’ve taken everything offline - video games, laser shows and
electronic art - so you can play with it IRL (in real life).
“The festival is on everyday till 9pm so we encourage everyone to grab their friends and family and make a night
(or afternoon) of it.”
Festival events include creative industry conference Analogue Digital, and two innovative concerts. Acclaimed
beatboxer Tom Thum and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra combine forces to perform a new concerto for IRL
Digital Festival and QSOCurrent audiences.
Lawrence English’s Room40 co-presents laser and music extravaganza RGB LASER SHOW by audio-visual artist
Robin Fox. Described by The New York Times as “visually stunning”, the concert recently toured London, Glasgow,
Hobart and Sydney.
IRL Digital Festival also features a free pop-up virtual reality lounge and interactive art installations. Visitors can
play with video games from every era in retrospective Player One/Player Two, or create a mashup of film and
animation in Enter the Mashup.
Eight artists transform everyday objects into new artworks using virtual reality, electronics and audio-engineering in
Electrofringe @ IRL.
Power-Up is a large-scale installation outside Brisbane Powerhouse, on the Powerhouse Plaza, that audiences can
control in order to reimagine Brisbane Powerhouse as a working power station.
LA gallery and creative producer iam8bit celebrate their 10th anniversary with two exhibitions; one that pays
homage to 80s video games and another that anticipates the future of gaming.
DATE
TIME
VENUE
INFO
-ENDS-
Thu 7 – Sun 17 May 2015
11am-9pm
Brisbane Powerhouse
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepowerhouse.org
DATE: Monday 30 March 2015
EPIC LASER SHOW COMBINES MUSIC AND ART AT NEW DIGITAL FESTIVAL
Brisbane Powerhouse and Room40 present RGB LASER SHOW.
“A psychedelic fantasia that enthrals.” Real Time
“The distortion of space and reality is awe-inspiring” New York Theatre Review
After touring to London, Glasgow and Sydney, acclaimed laser and music extravaganza RGB LASER
SHOW finally comes to Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday 9 May as part of the inaugural IRL Digital
Festival.
Described by Herald Scotland as “dazzling and brutal”, RGB LASER SHOW was created by multi-award
winning audio-visual artist Robin Fox. Fox’s laser works synchronize sound and visual electricity in
hyper-amplified 3D spaces, and have been performed in over 50 cities worldwide.
According to Fox, audiences at RGB LASER SHOW will literally see and hear the same electrical sound
at the same time, which will create an ecstatic experience as rarely-accessed parts of the brain are
connected.
“In the show I use three laser projectors - one red, one green and one blue, hence RGB in the title. By
combining these lasers with the sound of the shapes I create electronic music that matches these
signals, the show becomes overwhelming for the human senses and creates a synesthetic experience.”
“RGB LASER SHOW is technically quite demanding, however it’s always a joy to perform as audiences
around the world do find it immersive and thrilling. I’m glad to be bringing it to Brisbane for IRL Digital
Festival with Lawrence English, and to introduce a whole new crowd to the experience.
RGB LASER SHOW premiered at Mona Foma 2014 (Hobart) and recently featured at Tramway
(Glasgow), Vivid Festival (Sydney) and the Barbican (London).
IRL Digital Festival features five free interactive art and video game installations, a Pop-up Virtual Reality
Lounge, Australia’s first cord-free virtual reality video game experience, special concerts and creative
industries conference Analogue Digital 2015.
DATE
TIME
VENUE
TICKETS
INFO
-ENDS-
Sun 10 May
9pm
Pow erhouse Theatre
$25 + transaction fee ($3 single tickets/$6 multiple tickets)
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepow erhouse.org
DATE: Monday 30 March 2015
WORLD-CLASS BEATBOXER CLASHES WITH ORCHESTRA AT DIGITAL FESTIVAL
QSOCurrent and Brisbane Powerhouse present QSO & Tom Thum
He’s performed on Broadway, won international competitions and presented at TEDxSydney, now
acclaimed beatboxer Tom Thum combines forces with 16 musicians from Queensland Symphony
Orchestra to perform at IRL Digital Festival at Brisbane Powerhouse Saturday 16 May 2015.
QSO and Tom Thum will perform Thum Prints: A concerto contradiction for beatbox and orchestra by
multi-award-winning composer Gordon Hamilton as part of the inaugural QSOCurrent program.
According to Hamilton, creating the concerto with Tom Thum was a unique opportunity.
“Working with Tom is thrilling; he is magnificently talented and has an inexhaustible ability to imitate any
sound or instrument.
“In Thum Prints we’ve created a sound-world that combines vintage hip-hop and strands of Ravel and
Beethoven. It’s a real collaboration and neither of us could have achieved this alone.”
Tom Thum started out as a Brisbane B-boy and graffiti artist before going on to perform internationally,
both solo and as part of the Tom Tom Crew. He performed at the prestigious TEDx conference in
Sydney and his repertoire is wide-ranging and includes the Michael Jackson back-catalogue, the
didgeridoo, an entire 50s jazz band and more.
Award-winning composer and conductor Gordon Hamilton is the Artistic Director of one of Australia’s
foremost vocal ensembles, The Australian Voices and he has also worked extensively in Germany.
IRL Digital Festival features five free interactive art and video game installations, a Pop-up Virtual Reality
Lounge, Australia’s first cord-free virtual reality video game experience, special concerts and creative
industries conference Analogue Digital 2015.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s QSOCurrent is on from 15-16 May and includes four world premiere
concerts taking place across Brisbane. The program features performances and new works by Tom
Thum, Gordon Hamilton, Tim Shiel, Trichotomy, the Rafael Karlen Quartet, The Australian Voices and
more.
DATE
TIME
VENUE
TICKETS
INFO
Sat 16 May
8pm
Pow erhouse Theatre
$40 (full), $30 (concession) + transaction fee ($3 single tickets/$6 multiple tickets)
07 3358 8600 / brisbanepow erhouse.org
-ENDSQSOCurrent is proudly supported by Phillip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane City Council, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
powerhouse, Master Performers, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and Boyds – The Piano Shop.
PLAYER ONE/PLAYER TWO
Player One began life as a sporting hero in Pong, explored jungles in Pitfall, overcame Nazis in Wolfenstein and
even had a tragic fall into crime with Grand Theft Auto. Player Two was always there, in the shadows, dying and
spawning endlessly.
Now you can experience Player One’s life, the evolution of video games and their tumultuous relationship with
Player Two in this exhibition that takes over the Turbine Platform. Every major video game era is on display and
ready for you to play as you relive the history of gaming.
Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse and The Edge, State Library of Queensland
VENUE:
Turbine Platform
DATES:
Thursday 7 – Sunday 17 May
TIMES:
11am-9pm
TICKETS:
FREE
INFO:
brisbanepow erhouse.org
ELECTROFRINGE @ IRL
Walk through a virtual graffiti tunnel or hear music emanate from a pane of glass in this unique exhibition that fuses
art with electronics.
Electrofringe is an experimental electronic arts organisation and this exhibition brings together eight Australian
artists whose work combines cutting edge electronics and radical ideas. In this interactive exhibition you’re invited
to create and play with the artworks and explores spaces were the real and virtual collide.
Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse
VENUE:
Visy Theatre and Foyer, Turbine Studio
DATE:
Thursday 7 – Sunday 17 May
TIMES:
11am-9pm
TICKETS:
FREE
INFO:
brisbanepow erhouse.org
IAM8BIT
Celebrate 80s video games and iconic LA gallery iam8bit with two incredible exhibitions.
iam8bit is a renowned gallery and creative production company that has worked with Nintendo, PlayStation,
Universal, HBO, Disney and countless others. See their 10 th anniversary collection of paintings, prints and
multimedia works, each paying tribute to the incredible world of 1980s video games. Companion exhibition The
Future of Gaming features artworks that explore predictions from video game luminaries, including Tim Schafer
and Lorne Lanning. Check out iam8bit’s pop-up shop for limited edition prints and original artworks from both
exhibitions.
Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse
VENUE:
Mosquito Foyer and Turbine Hall
DATES:
Tuesday 5 May – Sunday 28 June
TIMES:
11am-9pm
TICKETS:
FREE
POP-UP STORE: Turbine Hall
DATES:
Thursday 7 – Sunday 17 May
TIMES:
Weekdays 11am-1pm, 4pm- till late. Sat+ Sun 11am till late.
POP-UP VIRTUAL REALITY LOUNGE
Ever wanted to escape into a virtual reality? Now you can with our free VR taster sessions.
Grab an armchair, strap on your VR goggles and go! You can enjoy ‘it’s behind you!” chills, free-falling action thrills
and fantasy environments where the world completely surrounds you. Experience the way storytelling is supposed
to be – immersive and electrifying.
Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse
VENUE:
Mosquito Foyer
DATE:
Thursday 7 – Sunday 17 May
TIMES:
11am-9pm
TICKETS:
FREE
INFO:
brisbanepow erhouse.org
ENTER THE MASHUP
Take back the screens! Control or be controlled in this electric new installation where your only weapon is the
mashup.
Create a fresh film mashup as you take control of the screens around you. Choose your video snippets and
animations from a fresh film library featuring everything from gritty urban streets to blue-skyed pastures, and from
hypnotic galaxies to candy-hued utopias.
Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse and The Edge, State Library of Queensland
VENUE:
Graffiti Room
DATES:
Thursday 7 – Sunday 17 May
TIMES:
11am-9pm
TICKETS:
FREE
INFO:
brisbanepow erhouse.org
POWER-UP
You have the power in this new installation where history and technology collide.
This epic outdoor installation takes over the Powerhouse Plaza and uses animation, projection and responsive
technology to create a unique new interactive artwork. As you wave, walk and play this installation responds and
animated cogs, levers and pulleys will move at your commands. Insert yourself into the new history of Brisbane
Powerhouse and reimagine the building as it once was, a working power station.
Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse
VENUE:
Pow erhouse Plaza
DATES:
Friday 8 – Sunday 10 May
TIMES:
6pm-9pm
TICKETS:
FREE
INFO:
brisbanepow erhouse.org
IRL AFTER DARK
Celebrate the first IRL Digital Festival
Grab your friends and a drink, and join us for a party! Stay up late and explore the IRL world. There’s five free art
and video game installations, a Pop-up Virtual Reality Lounge, DJs and the newest VR zombie apocalypse game
just waiting for you.
Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse
DATE
Friday 8 May
TIME
6pm-9pm
VENUE
Brisbane Pow erhouse
TICKETS
FREE
INFO
brisbanepow erhouse.org