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by Alana Hunt and Sofia Chapman Supported by City of Merri-bek, Merri Health and Coffex Coffee We acknowledge the Woi Wurrung people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we and the ants work. ANTFARM—an Anthropomorphosis is a large walkthrough installation for adults and children, a bizarre ant world of art, shadow puppets and optical illusions. Peep into small and large lit tunnels, you might see a tiny ant thought projected there. An interesting, fun way to find out many things about Ants. ANTFARM - an Anthropomorphosis was created with the support of Merri Health through the Great Idea Program. Our Premiere was a success, on Saturday 24 April 2021 at Fawkner Food Bowls. As in Aesop’s folktale ‘The Ant and the Grasshopper’, the Vardos grasshoppers played their unique music while the ants toiled. Ants then frANTically plotted, schemed and applied for grANTs, and ANTFARM returned in 2022, more brilliANT, more avANT-garde and more water-resistANT than ever, thanks to a Flourish grANT from Merri-bek City Council, and our sponsors Coffex Coffee! 2022 featured a pANTomime with music by Vardos and theatrical performance by Christian Bagin and Crystal Hegedis.
From our pANTomime: The ant with her aphid on a rainy opening night; Baron Avebury reciting ant poems; Antrid can harm other insects. Photos Melisa Savickas Thanks to all who came to Antfarm, and our wonderful assistANTs Duff, Ben, Hilary, Hira, Jacqui and Spira and many more! Ants are one of the species on earth that form large societies/ groups. There is much about them that is similar to the human. Ants are also interested in what humans think of them, and invited the humans of Fawkner to make and contribute some small artworks about Ants which were exhibited in the public gallery. On Sunday 1 May 2022 Hira Salman's art mural was also unveiled at the Food Bowls with music by Vardos, supported by a Summer Community Event Grant from Merri-bek City Council.
ANTFARM is partly inspired by the writings of John Lubbock, Baron Avebury, scientist and insect enthusiast, who published many monographs including Ants, Bees and Wasps: a record of observations on the habits of the social hymenoptera, 1884.
The Queen's Chamber Photos Sofia Chapman, Emma Chapman, David de Roach, Brig Bee
Alana's other artworks and installations include THOMA (Tiny House of Modern Art) 2019, The Garden Gifts - Street Pantry and Fawkner Community Pantry. FB page for Vardos here! or email vardos (at) hotmail.com |
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