Lumens Arts: Promoting Australia-China ties

THIS week, local and international artists will be teaming up to bring Victoria the Lumens Festival. Grace Yew has the details on how the festival hopes to promote and improve ties between Australia and China. 

Curated by a team from RMIT University, this contemporary photography and video art festival will be launched in Federation Square on December 6, where it will be screened until February 2013.

The screening will be opened by the head of RMIT’s School of Art, Professor Jeremy Diggle.

Art: Darren Sylvester, What Happens Happens

Established in 2010, the Lumens Festival project is an ongoing collaboration between RMIT University School of Art and the Suzhou Institute of Art and Design.

As part of the Victoria-Jiangsu Sister Province Cultural Agreement, the Victorian Government has lent the project its full support.

Victorian Premier and Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu says the festival’s Jiangsu run strengthens Australian-Chinese ties and shows how public art can transform everyday spaces into something extraordinary.

“In addition to creating dynamic art and establishing a festival that had a widespread community impact, the project reinforced the value of our cultural ties with our sister state and with China more broadly,” says Mr Baillieu.

Art: Shane Hulbert, Broken Hill Speedway

Co-curator Dr Tammy Hulbert from RMIT says the festival will also facilitate cultural exchange between Victoria and the Jiangsu province of Suzhou, China.

“The artworks in this project explore themes of landscape, community and identity,” she says.

“The project also highlights the future direction of cultural diplomacy, as set out by the Australia in the Asian Century white paper.”

Art: Harry Nankin, Syzygy 8

The Lumens Festival features local Victorian artists John Billan, Martine Corompt, Mark Galer, Ian Haig, Shane Hulbert, Bronek Kozka, and many more.

With contributing artists from Jiangsu include Hu Bing, Li Weilin, Li Xiao Song, Qian Hua Wang Gang, Wu Zhongwen, Yang Hia Tao, Zhang Ming Xing and Zhou Wei.

For more information, visit the Lumens Festival website.

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