NB: It will have another tier when finished.
THE saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ will be put to the test by some amazing installations at this year’s Ventana Fiesta.
Ventana, which means ‘window’, is Frankston’s month-long celebration of arts and culture inspired by emerging and celebrated movements in Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
According to Frankston mayor Cr James Dooley, the 2016 Ventana Fiesta will have a theme of ‘trash’, focusing on movements that promote sustainability and the new trend of ‘upcycling’.
“There has been an exciting trend evolving in Latin America, Spain and Portugal, which encourages people to look at trash from another perspective and rediscover its value,” Cr Dooley said.
“Given that Frankston was named Australia’s Most Sustainable City at the 2015 Keep Australia Beautiful Awards, this is a very fitting theme for this year’s Ventana Fiesta.”
The trash-inspired artistic movements featuring as part of Ventana 2016 include:
- TrashArt – an exhibition of instruments and costumes made out of recycled materials
- The TrashBanquet, the Last Supper – an installation in the Glass Cube Gallery at Cube 37 which will see trash disguised as an elegant dining setting
- TrashLation – a collection of images of neglected spaces that have been transformed into playgrounds by urban designers and communities, using repurposed discarded items
- Galapagos Surreal – a photographic exhibition depicting a trip to paradise devoid of trash
“These incredible exhibitions will be the result of a variety of artists working together to challenge our view of what is trash and what is treasure; and will open our minds to potential upcycling options for different items that were destined for landfill,” the mayor said.
To complement these exhibitions, Ventana Fiesta will also feature a number of film screenings, workshops and musical performances with a focus on trash, sustainability and upcycling.
The trash-themed workshops will include a Recycled Instrument Workshop at the Pines Men’s Shed at 10am on Wednesday 2 March. This free workshop will see attendees taught how to re-fashion recycled materials to create their own musical instruments.
“Run by Leo Rodriguez, an Argentinian musician and artisan who has been inspired by the Landfill Orchestra of Cateura, the free Recycled Instrument Workshop is a wonderful way for community members to learn how to literally transform trash into art,” Cr Dooley said.
Rodriguez’s repurposed musical instruments will feature in the Ventana TrashArt exhibition and he and his new ‘TrashBand’ will perform at the official Ventana Fiesta Opening on Friday 26 February and as part of the free Sunday Concert Series at the Frankston Library on Sunday 6 March at 1.30pm.
A free film screening of The Landfill Harmonic, the tale of the Paraguayan Youth Orchestra who live next to one of South America’s largest landfills and make their instruments from recycled materials, will feature as part of this year’s Pop-Up Ventana Film Festival at Cube 37 on Friday 26 February.