Art for Takayna Makes South Australian Premiere at ILA

The Bob Brown Foundation's Art for Takayna makes its SA premiere this month at Immersive Light and Art (ILA) with a brand-new immersive experience as part of South Australia's Nature Festival.

Running from Friday 18 September to Saturday 10 October, the striking exhibition showcases work created by Australian artists during Bob Brown Foundation's annual artist residency in Takayna. A unique, multidisciplinary art project, the exhibition spans photography, painting, sculpture and more from artists such as First Dog on the Moon, Jon Kudekla and Oakey. The art captures the beauty of Tasmania's sacred Takayna, a sprawling area of wilderness made up of mountains, rugged coastlines and Australia's largest temperate rainforest.

Takayna has remained mainly unchanged for millions of years. Deeply significant to First Nations people, it is home to several endangered species but remains under constant threat from mining and logging.

This exhibition aims to raise awareness of Takayna's beauty and significance as part of the Bob Brown Foundation's national campaign to protect the area as a World Heritage-listed national park and return it to Aboriginal ownership.

Adelaide artist Dave McEvoy took a Grand Piano into Takayna as part of his residency with the Bob Brown Foundation. A filmed recording of his improvisation on grand piano as the forest wakes at dawn will be shown as part of the exhibition in ILA's studio, complemented by a brand-new immersive experience created specifically for ILA's one-of-a-kind 110m2 LED screen studio.

Speaking about the performance, McEvoy said, "My time in Takayna gifted me a profound and lasting sense of wellbeing. Making music there, I became viscerally aware of a deep interconnectedness, and I felt as though the forest, a wise and benign benefactor, was holding out a lifeline to us as a species. Takayna is home to one of the world’s last great temperate rainforests, a globally significant ecosystem. I hope through my music I can amplify the message of the urgent need to preserve it for the well-being and survival of future generations."

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Speaking about the exhibition, Head of Creative at ILA, Sarah Bleby, said, "Having heard directly from artists about the transformative power of being in the Takayna landscape, we are so excited to bring their stunning work and experience to audiences in the way that only ILA can."

Bob Brown Foundation's Campaigns Director Jenny Weber added, "Art for Takayna is a globally unique artivism event where our frontline defenders host the artists and inspire their works. The artists immerse themselves in one of Earth's last wild places to create art for our campaign to have World Heritage protection for Takayna. The powerful call to action from artists through their portraits of Takayna provides a visceral reminder of what is at stake in this ancient and threatened place."

A special immersive food experience celebrating Art of Takayna is also set for October. A three-course plant-based Art Salon Lunch inspired by the exhibition will be served to lucky guests, surrounded by scenes of Takayna's wilderness in ILA's unique immersive events space. A panel discussion featuring Bob Brown Foundation representatives and artists involved in the exhibition will accompany the lunch, offering a special view of the exhibition from those who helped create it.

The lunch is curated by Aurora’s Executive Chef Robin Wagner, who draws inspiration from Australian ingredients and ILA’s creative program, and Hospitality Manager James McLennan, who crafts inspired beverage pairings for each course.

More information on these events and more can be found at immersivelightandart.com.au.

Art for Takayna takes place at ILA from Friday 18 September to Saturday 10 October. Tickets on sale here.