Waste Not by Song Dong

By Benjamen Judd

Earlier this year for the annual Sydney Festival, Chinese artist Song Dong opened his immensely personal and incredibly breath-taking exhibition, Waste Not.

One of China’s most pre-eminent artists, Song Dong’s Waste Not is an installation work that literally traces back to his family home in Beijing. The work represents the artist’s mother’s process of mourning and remembrance after the death of her husband. Consisting of the entire contents of her house, Waste Not reflects a journey of hardship and grief, resulting in a display of personal resilience and ultimately a celebration of life.

With that in mind, fringe-gallery and performance space Carriageworks, in collaboration with the 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, is offering participants the opportunity to experience the artwork at a new level.

Director of the 4A Centre, Aaron Seeto, and Carriageworks’ curator, Beatrice Gralton, will take viewers for a behind the scenes tour of Waste Not and Song Dong’s other current work on show, Dad and Mum, Don’t Worry About Us, We are All Well. The tour will begin at Carriageworks and continue to 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art.

This is a rare opportunity to hear about the artist’s work from two who possess an intimate knowledge of the pieces from background context to contemporary interpretations. And we are not ashamed to admit that, for us, the deal was cemented as soon as we heard about the food – ticket prices not only includes transport between venues but a Chinese banquet in one of Chinatown’s best restaurants. We recommend getting your bum into gear as there are only 40 seats available.

For more information, and to buy tickets online, head to the Carriageworks website here.