This event is part of the 2026 Now Or Never Festival.
A new collaborative work of human and robotic percussion with the iconic Federation Bells.
Australian sound artist Robbie Avenaim premieres Shine Caught Blue featuring a groundbreaking collaboration between two peculiar percussion robots: Avenaim’s custom-built S.A.R.P.S. (Semi Automated Percussion System). Presented as an outdoor installation and performance event with Melbourne’s iconic public sound sculpture, this is a complex exchange between human gesture and robotic precision. For the live premiere on Friday 21 August 8 – 9pm, Avenaim will be joined by longtime collaborators and experimental musicians Jim Denley (flute) and James Rushford (portative organ).
Working through his unique human–machine interface, Avenaim draws intricate textures from drums, percussion, bells and piano, balancing delicate restraint with bursts of kinetic intensity. The result is a dynamic sonic configuration where moments of quiet restraint give way to dense percussion, metallic vibrations and ecstatic release.
