Whisper loudly into Cochlear, the premiere installation from Footscray legends Snuff Puppets in partnership with Midsumma.
Midsumma is excited to present the premiere of Snuff Puppets’ Cochlear, a 15-metre inflatable inner ear and performance-installation designed to amplify voices from the frontlines of gender. This unmissable work will be held at the Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne, presented by Midsumma Festival X Ignite Melbourne.
At the world-premiere of Cochlear, the audience is invited to step inside this most unique body part and ‘whisper loudly’ into the inner ear of the public, creating an intimate space that presents giant Human Body Parts as symbols of our shared humanity. Developed by Snuff Puppets Director, Nick Wilson, and Resident Artist, OPAL, the Cochlear performance installation is inspired by the need for more active and engaged listening in safe spaces for trans and gender non-conforming people within the community.
COCHLEAR by Snuff Puppets
- Friday 10 – Saturday 11 February, 11am – 3pm FREE
- Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne: Peppercorn lawn, St Kilda Rd end of park
- More information here
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Opal, a multidisciplinary queer artist, has created an immersive and interactive performance piece as Cochlear reveals a world of curving lines, soft-edged chambers, geometric forms and colour-saturated light, while also playing the stories of 10 trans and gender-diverse collaborators over speakers throughout the space. This vast Cochlear creates an interactive world that challenges the silencing of gender minorities by amplifying their voice, and in doing so, pushes against these harmful stereotypes and cultural norms within society.
“I was interested in the Cochlear as a symbol of both listening and balance, but also, I just love the pure geometry of it, it’s a very beautiful and strange anatomical form. Its shape is designed to capture and interpret soundwaves, and to detect our balance and orientation in space,” says Snuff Puppets director Nick Wilson. “I find it incredible that so many people can voice such strong opinions about trans and gender non-conforming people, and yet the real and only experts on the issue are so rarely listened to in our culture. By amplifying the voices and stories of 10 trans and gender-diverse collaborators, Cochlear aims to push against harmful stereotypes, ignorant public discourses, and a broader culture that’s complicit in the silencing of gender minorities.”
The Snuff Puppets have been creating giant puppet spectacles since 1992 for millions of people worldwide. Their work is a collision of visual art, sculpture, design, engineering, music, movement, performance and physical theatre that comes together to produce giant puppets that are brought to life. The Snuff Puppets work to tackle difficult, awkward and taboo topics for non-traditional art audiences, as they invite their audience to challenge their beliefs through their subversive public spectacles.
With 100 million YouTube views worldwide, the Snuff Puppets have a devoted global following, representing a distinctive and recognisable Australian voice.
More information here.
