'Tessellate: Magick / August 13th at Mycelium Studios'
Magick is Tessellate’s inaugural full-day event merging the worlds of sound and visual art to invoke personal and communal stories of the mystical.
Ahead of Tessellate Music & Arts’ next event on August 13th at Mycelium Studios, we spoke with some of the people involved in the extravaganza who are bringing forth their mastery in respective fields of curation, live performance and artistic installation/performance.
Keep on scrolling to read our interviews with Tayyab Afsar (artistic curator), Morgan Wright (musician), Klari Agar x Peta Treble (artistic installation), Colette (DJ) and Freya Humphrey (dance/performance).
Get tickets to Tessellate // Magick
Pictured: Tayyab Afsar (Tessellate Art Curator)
Tayyab Afsar (artistic curator)
This is your first event as an art curator for Tessellate working alongside Kirsty. Can you tell me about what drew you to Tessellate as an event series and why you were interested in joining the team?
Tay: I met Benji, who's one the founders of Tessellate whilst working at Hopkins Creek, it was there when I mentioned I had experience in creative direction. I never really thought anything of it at the time other than just a casual chat. A few months later he rang saying if I’d like to join the team, I agreed, and it when from there really.
Having worked with the team for a while now, I love the fact it’s more than a club night. We really pay homage to artists whether its visual, sound or theatrical. I love the fact you can be sweating away on the dance-floor to a great song while something amazing is happening beside you; whether that’s a visual or theatrical aspect, I want it to blow your mind in the best possible way.
What is your history in art/music? Are you an artist yourself? If so, how does this impact your curatorial process?
Having lived in Manchester, I’ve always had an interest in music. I had 5 older siblings, so the music was so diverse. One minute I was told that Hed Kandi is the ‘in’ music, and the next I was told that someone else was the next greatest band to come out of the UK. The first albums I properly listened to were Oasis “what’s the story morning glory” and Michael Jackson “History” both very different but I tended to listen to bands like Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, and Stone Roses. Then all my mates started going to dance events, all nighters at places like The Warehouse Project and Chibuku in Liverpool. Meeting new mates in the smoking area and feeling like good, there was no other feeling in the world that could top them moments and I guess the rest is history
I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an artist. I love being super creative, whether that’s photography, styling, or cooking. I really enjoy the whole process from concept to execution. In regard to my processes, I really get a kick out of showcasing peoples work, a good story usually helps, an upbringing and seeing emotion go into the work.
What can we expect from some of the performances and art installations at Tessellate // Magick?
I would love to go into detail about all the artists, but I really wouldn’t want to spoil the day. We’ve got a broad scope of artists on the line up so expect your senses to take a pounding - you’re going to be smelling, hearing, and looking at all kinds of stuff.
How have you hoped to invoke the mystic / magical in your curatorial choices for this event?
When the artists are confirmed they are sent a concept that we ask them to keep in mind, but there is no pressure, we love to see their interpretation. To be honest, I won’t even have seen all the work so it’s going to be a mystery for me too.
Pictured: Morgan Wright
Morgan Wright (musician)
Can you tell me about yourself as an artist and producer?
Morgan: My name is Morgan Wright - morgherita, ⅓ of Acopia, Mittens, label boss of DMO, Burning Rose Records…
I’ve been making music forever, but for this project I kind of do post-punk meets electronic music, incorporating tropes from IDM and breakbeat; lush pads with breaks, but also bass-lines that drive forward and vocals on a lot of the tracks.
What can we expect from your performance at Tessellate // Magick?
For this live set I’ve got a good friend and collaborator Darcy Baylis playing with me. I like people playing with me for lots of reasons - one is that it takes the pressure off me, but mostly it’s just nice playing music with other people. I don’t find it as enjoyable doing it alone. I think you can learn stuff from other people when you play music with them. For me, that keeps it interesting and exciting.
As for the theme - I’m more so making a set of music that I want to play. I’m not a musician that’s trying to play to the crowd - that’s some mid-twenties shit and I’m 32. I think when you make stuff that you find fun and are passionate about that’s contagious and comes through with the tunes. I’ll be playing bass guitar, singing and chatting between songs and Darcy will play guitar which will be quite epic I think. Post-punk meets breakbeat meets shoegaze, maybe. Something like that.
How are you feeling about the gig?
I’m excited. I’ve played a few Tessellate parties and I think I’ve evolved as an artist. It’s a bit trite to stay that, like obviously that’s going to happen - people grow. But their parties have gotten more interesting and more unique as my style has. It’s a nice growth. The last time I played at a Tessellate party was at Sub Club; it’s cool to play at a new venue and at an hour that is more appropriate for my post-punk electronic extravaganza.
I’m excited to see the performers mostly. Usually I’m not into that stuff too much, but at the last Tessellate at Sub Club someone did this dance thing that was fucking crazy, I was taken back by it. It changed my perspective on installations and VCA art shit at clubs.
Obviously Tessellate didn’t invent art at the club - it’s as old as the club itself - but I feel like they do it in a very non snobby, interesting way which I feel is quite genuine. It makes it really approachable to someone like me, who’s a bit naf when it comes to performing arts, out of ignorance. It’s good when parties are approachable about the visual performance side of things.
Can you tell me a bit about your live set up / process for the gig?
I’ve got a bunch of new songs to play where I’ve been trying to use randomisation and beat repeat effects, modulating those with LFOs and sample and hold. I try to run my live set as simply as possible. Doing live sets for so long and lots of gigs has made me so over taking my gear to a gig or even unpacking my studio for the gig - it’s a fucking nightmare.
I run Ableton with backing track mixed steps on clip view and trigger those songs, and then play bass guitar over and sing [Morgan proceeds to give some lovely la la la’s].
Some of the newer songs have some synth parts plus drum parts I modulate. Iv’e made this device where I can modify the probability of a ntoe playing, and the velocity is being randomized on the drum hit, but the velocity isn’t actually triggering the velocity (or the volume) of the instrument, but instead modifying the sound I’ve made. So, like, I’ve sampled an 808 kick (well a vermona kick I made sound like an 808) and I’ve triggered 127 (one for each velocity point) at different decays, and slightly different attack times and distortions. What you get is a never-ending random drum machine.
On another song I play some synth as well. Darcy will play guitar on that track, but he doesn’t know it yet. Then I may record the Juno as I’m playing it, so I can play bass along. I could obviously just play the loop on Ableton - but there’s the want to keep it interesting for yourself. I feel like the audience can appreciate that kinda shit too.
It makes it fun for everybody - which is what I’m all about. Fun. for. everyone.
Pictured: Klari Agar by Mae Haetrick (@maartrick)
Klari Agar x Peta Treble x Nissassa Bacci (visual artists)
Can you tell me about yourself as an artist?
Klari: Not in any fixed sense. I jump between different materials and often prioritise collaboration, so it can be hard to articulate. I have a background in analogue photography with a knack for chemical damage. Works with conversations attached to them are of the most interest to me and usually what I do is motivated by dreams. At the moment I’m interested in undercurrents, the physicality of sound and salt.
Peta: Based in Naarm, we work with a wide range of mediums - from sculpture and painting to video and installation. Thematically, our practices explore the different facets of identity, the performance of the self and processes of transformation, experimentation and play. We place great importance on collaboration and working outside of typical 'art' contexts.
What can we expect from your installation at Tessellate // Magick?
Klari: The expectation could be imagined as collateral of an overdue collaboration that crawled out of an ultra violet swamp and bought its slimy friends.
Peta: A literal glow up - expect to be enchanted, immersed and maybe a little bit luminescent.
Why do you think it’s important for visual art to be given space to coexist alongside music and other art forms? Apart from Tessellate, do you think there is a shortage of events in Naarm that bridge together different disciplines of art?
Klari: Don’t think there’s a shortage, I believe there’s a lot of different dialogue had between different forms and contexts. It’s about when and where and always why. For this event, visual art holds a dialect with sound that allows for different perspective –it’s an intersection of language that calls for materialistic play.
Peta: There is definitely a shortage of events like Tesselate that combine visual art, music and performance - we actively aim to be a part of and create spaces just like Tesselate so it's exciting to be on board! For us, the word 'art' encompasses all creative practices and our overall mutual goal is to work with as many as possible to create immersive environments that bridge the gaps between disciplines. We feel that by segregating practices into contexts where they cannot or do not coexist only increases inaccessibility, exclusivity and hegemonic structures that actively disadvantage many groups of people. It's important for visual art to be given space and to give space for music and other art forms in order to break down boundaries, remove hierarchies and create truly meaningful experiences that anyone can access.
Pictured: Peta Treble and Nissassa Bacci
You’ve mentioned that you work with humour as a form of resilience. I love this concept - I’m wondering if (and how) you’ve injected this into your art for Tessellate?
Klari: Theres a lot of inside jokes and ongoing conversations within the installation but humours place is always different for the audience.
Personally, I’ve spent hours trying to make things glow under UV light - its been really nice sharing that process with others, because its often ridiculous. I think we’ve all gone through a lot of dumpsters, often at busy periods in public spaces which adds to the performative f accumulating materials. (which is often incredibly stupid and rewarding).
Peta: We have actively engaged play, resourcefulness and a sense of humour into our art making process for Tesselate - producing work that is resilient as much as it is fun.
How are you hoping to invoke the theme of the mystical/magic into your set for Tessellate // Magick?
Klari: The installation works on physics that I will never be bothered to understand and I think that’s magic.
Peta: A magician never reveals their tricks...
Pictured: Colette
Colette (DJ)
Can you tell me a little about yourself as a DJ? What sounds are you most drawn to; what guides your passion for dance and music?
Colette: Mostly drawn to afro pop rhythms. all kinds of black music. passion for having a good time and losing myself in playing songs i love
What can we expect from your DJ set at Tessellate next month?
feel good times with a bit of anarchy
How are you planning to involve the theme of the mystical/magic into your set for Tessellate // Magick?
you'll have to wait and see, i can't give everything away
Pictured: Freya Humphrey by Aimee Raitman
Freya Humphrey (performance artist/dancer)
Can you tell me about yourself as an artist?
I am an emerging dance artist currently in my third year at the Victorian College of the Arts. My practice has many elements and is ever evolving but is centered around exploring different modalities and qualities of movement. I’m really drawn to collaborative processes and the creation of interdisciplinary art through the meeting of different mediums. I have a strong interest in improvisation and often draw on conceptual and abstract ideas to create inspiration for my movement. I often work with aesthetics and draw on my interest in photography and film when creating dance work.
What can we expect from your performance at Tessellate // Magick?
I’m planning on tapping into a really ethereal and transcendent quality. My performance will be predominately improvised, structured by a range of scores which will take me through different modalities of movement. I am planning on working closely with the sound set as a live impetus for movement. I will also incorporate some structured choreographic phrases. These various scores and movement phrases will occur and repeat throughout the performance in between moments of stillness. For this project, I have placed a lot if importance in costuming which is new for me, so I’m keen to see how this will affect my movement and the overall effect of the performance.
Do you think there is a shortage of spaces/events in Naarm that bridge together different artist disciplines (e.g. performance art and dance given the same level playing field as music, for example)?
Absolutely, there are some really cool events happening at the moment, like Tesselate, but in my opinion there is still definitely a shortage. Naarm has such a wonderful contemporary dance scene but from my experience it’s generally a pretty internal community. When going to different dance events I’ve noticed that a lot of the time audiences are predominately made up of people within the industry. I’m really passionate about bringing dance and performance art to different communities and widening the audiences that consume it. I feel that oftentimes dance is placed in an event as a secondary performance or to compliment another medium, it’s really great to see events that place all art forms at a level playing field. As I mentioned above I’m really interesting in working in an interdisciplinary space so events like Tessellate are such a great way to find connections and learn what and who you like collaborating with.
Pictured: Freya Humphrey by Tim Carrafa
If so, why do you think it is important for events like Tessellate that aim to merge these disciplines to exist?
I think dance and performance art have so much to offer to other artists and the general public and I know I can learn so much from interacting with artists from different mediums. Events like Tessellate are an amazing way to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and performance and to bring contemporary dance to more diverse audiences by placing it in more accessible and casual spaces. I’m really interested in taking art forms out of their traditional performance or display contexts and seeing how they exist in different environments and interact with different audiences. For example, I feel that placing dance in a club environment versus a black box theatre really alters the way I approach and perform a work.
How are you planning to invoke the theme of the mystical/magic into your set for Tessellate // Magick?
The scores that I mentioned above will be based around different words or ideas relating to mythical or magical themes. I’ve also been looking into mythical characters from various movies and books I grew up with and imitating their body language or movements to create choreographic phrases. I’ve found I’m really inclined to work with fairy-like characters in order to create a sense of ethereality in my movement. As ancient spiritual practices see a resurgence within popular culture, I’m really interesting in exploring my personal connection to spirituality and mythical ideas in a way that acknowledges my lineage and respects the cultural significance of a lot of these themes. These questions and ideas will be explored throughout my performance. I’m really keen to play with costuming and I think this will also have a major part in connecting with the theme.
Get tickets to Tessellate // Magick at Mycelium Studios on August 13th!
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