Summer at the MCA

words by josh ives

Located on the precipice of the Rocks, and bordering the Harbour, the Museum of Contemporary Arts (or MCA as it is affectionately known) is now a firm part of Sydney’s rich history. Erected in 1991 and standing tall and proud, this behemoth has rightfully earned its reputation as Sydney’s hub for art culture, in all its many shapes and forms.

Bump in! Getting ready for 'Primavera 2016' exhition opening night. Proudly supported by Major Partner @audiaustralia #PrimaveraMCA #untaggable #alwaysaudi

A post shared by MCA Australia (@mca_australia) on Sep 27, 2016 at 9:41pm PDT

Once a simple teaching facility, aimed at educating adults and youth alike about the importance and essence of art, it has grown exponentially to provide the pinnacle of the art experience and education. Today, it houses an entire floor dedicated to the MCA Collection, offers and showcases a major national resource for educational programs as well as two floors dedicated completely to exhibitions: both classics and fresh innovative pieces. The MCA also includes a library, digital and multimedia studios, learning seminars and a lecture theatre.

Yep, our beloved MCA has proven without a doubt that it is an institution we can depend on. So what can we expect as we tiptoe into the new year? Read on…

Tatsuo Miyajima
One of Japans’ hottest artistic exports, Tatsuo Miyajima is here in Australia for the very first time, and boy are we lucky to have him. His exhibition is called Connect With Everything and believe me when I say, it is an incredible spectacle to witness. Tatsuo is an artist. He doesn’t use paint, he doesn’t use lead and he doesn’t use a chisel. He uses electrical diodes, lights and a huge imagination!
Time and its passage are the central themes to Tatsuo’s display. This is fundamentally explored visually through many, many, small digital counting devices and it is something to behold. Similar to the palette of The Matrix, the designs appear as many interchanging numbers to represent our obsession with, and ironic inability to control time. This one runs until March so get in and check it out!

MCA Collection: Today.Tomorrow.Yesterday
Composed entirely from the MCA’s famous Collection, this exhibition beautifully explores the impact that past art and influence have had on how we view and derive art today. From contemporary re-imaginations of ancient ancestral work to the ever-present effects of the early twentieth-century avant-garde designs, each room considers and showcases a different perspective of the history of the present.
Aptly named, Today. Tomorrow. Yesterday is an homage to the book The Prophet, written and composed of 26 prose poetry essays by Lebanese artist and philosopher Kahlil Gibran. In it, he wrote: “…yesterday is but to-day’s memory, and tomorrow is to-day’s dream”. These poignant words reflect the theme of the exhibition. So come and take a look – appreciate how yesterday has moulded the present. Stand and consider how today will affect tomorrow.

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