May - Transformation and innovation

May we tempt you to a breath of fresh air? While autumn is transforming our landscapes, let the coloured foliage inspire you to turn over a new leaf.

Innovation is about breaking new ground. It's about taking an old, familiar thought, combining it with a bright idea and turning it into something new, modern, and original.

The work of contemporary artist Fiona Hall has struck audiences from across the world as unconventional and unprecedented. The exhibition Force Field at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney showcases how Hall transforms familiar objects into extraordinary sculptures. Not that dissimilar to the claims that were made in the 1900s, when Charles Bayliss transformed conventional views of Sydney with his pioneering work in panoramic and landscape photography - on exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Watch for the range of innovation from emerging writers, young designers and artists across Australia with WordStorm in the Northern Territory, Design Now! in Sydney, the Next Wave Festival in Melbourne and the Hatched 08 National Graduate Show at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art.

New and revised Australian Stories

Modern Australian residential architecture
Modern Australian poetry
Australian aviation

Featured event

Fiona Hall, Force Field - Sydney

6 March - 1 June 2008

Force Field represents an in-depth survey of the work of Australian artist Fiona Hall. Featuring photography, sculpture, installation and video works from the 1970s to the present day and includes new work made especially for this exhibition. More...

Featured website

Aviation in Australia

The State Library of NSW atmitchell collections' Aviation in Australia website traces the history of flight in Australia from its infancy through to the twentieth century.

News snippets

Design and architecture

culture.gov.au/news/design.htm

Design Now! - Sydney

5 April - 15 June 2008

Design Now! is Object's annual national graduate exhibition. Young designers from across the country competed with fellow students for an opportunity to display their work as part of the exhibition. More...

Digital media and film

culture.gov.au/news/digitalmedia.htm

VT2 International Digital Art Projects 2008 - Brisbane

1-24 May 2008

This exhibition reflects a global commitment to exploring cultural identity through leading professional arts practice in digital media. More...

Festivals and conferences

culture.gov.au/news/festivalsandconferences.htm

Next Wave Festival - Melbourne

15-31 May 2008

The Next Wave Festival is a major biennial event that presents genre-busting new works by the next wave of Australian artists. More...

History and identity

culture.gov.au/news/historyandidentity.htm

Charles Bayliss - Sydney

9 February - 25 May 2008

This exhibition by Charles Bayliss (1850-1897), a leading figure in Australia's photographic heritage, provides a unique insight into late nineteenth century Australia, both its landscape and its inhabitants. More...

Indigenous arts and culture

culture.gov.au/news/indigenousarts.htm

Wayne Quillam, Lowanna - Melbourne

9 April - 18 May 2008

Mountain ranges, coal black skies and vast desert plains that slip over distant horizons leave an indelible mark on the subconscious. More...

Language and literature

culture.gov.au/news/languageandliterature.htm

WordStorm - Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Darwin

9-18 May 2008

WordStorm is an established and much-anticipated Northern Territory literary event, and is unique in Australia for its strong commitment to supporting and broadcasting Indigenous Australian and South East Asian voices. More...

Performance

culture.gov.au/news/performance.htm

INUK 2 - Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra

29 March - 10 May 2008

The latest work of the choreographer Meryl Tankard and the Sydney Dance Company, Inuk 2 tells the story of a traveller whose mind stays in Australia, but whose body is shunted around the world. More...

Resources and funding

culture.gov.au/news/resourcesandfunding.htm

Arts Law Week - Melbourne

19-24 May 2008

Arts Law Centre of Australia in conjunction with Victorian Arts Law Consortium will host an Arts Law Week with free seminars, workshops and advice clinics on legal issues relevant to artists and art organisations in Melbourne. More...

Sport and recreation

culture.gov.au/news/sportandrecreation.htm

2008 Recreation Summit - Canberra

16-17 May 2008

Sport and Recreation Services in partnership with the University of Canberra is conducting the 2008 Recreation Summit. More...

Visual arts and crafts

culture.gov.au/news/visualarts.htm

Hatched 08, National Graduate Show - Perth

11 April - 25 May 2008

An exhibition of art spanning painting, ceramics, print making, sculpture, installation, textiles, animation, photography and video by new emerging artists in Australia. More..

Websites - new

culture.gov.au/news/websites.htm

architecture.com.au projects

architecture.com.au projects is a gallery based around the prestigious Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) National Architecture Awards, which have been running since 1981. The gallery currently contains approximately 2,000 projects that have been entered in the awards program from 1981 onwards. More...

Portal news

A new system for self-updating the databases of the Grants and Services Finder and the Training Course Finder will be launched by the Culture and Recreation Portal next week. If you are working in an arts and culture service organisation or are a training provider, and have a listing in one of our databases, please expect more information shortly. The secure logon system will allow organisations and providers to update their own service and training details. Last year, this unique service, offered by the Portal, had tens of thousands of visits.

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Feedback is welcome - just email editor@culture.gov.au.