ACMI Stories & Ideas

INNOVATION Join Marshmallow Laser Feast’s Robin McNicholas as he sheds light on their multi-sensory experiences at the intersection of science, technology, art and nature. What does it mean to experience tree-time? How do animals see the world? How does our breath connect us to the plant world? In this session Robin McNicholas, creative director of Marshmallow Laser Feast, discusses their process of creating immersive works which enable us to shift our perceptions. Experiencing the world as tree, animal or air, can enable encounters with the wonder and interconnectedness of the natural world. Marshmallow Laser Feast are a UK-based team who develop experiential work involving technology. Founder & Creative Director Robin McNicholas shares R&D strategies for innovation along with the challenges & opportunities for creators interested in making work for connected global audiences.

We all have muya, the essence or aura of who we are. It's what makes you you.

Hunter Page-Lochard tells us about the person who is the conduit between the Dreaming and this world: The Cleverman. Written by Ryan Griffen. Republished with permission from Triple J & ABC.

Join artists Gabrielle De Vietri, Hanna Brontë and Eugenia Lim to talk video art and challenging provocations in the spheres of identity, immigration, race, nationalism and politics. From exploring issues of gender and racial identity through the lens of hip-hop aesthetics to deconstructing the nature of globalisation and economics through video and performance, the artists will discuss their own practice in contemporary video art and film, and what excites them about the form's potential for political expression and social commentary.

Alice was first brought to life by Lewis Carroll, but she's sparked imaginations and been immortalised on screen many times since. Join film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas in conversation with Dr Michelle Smith (Monash University) and Dr Dan Golding (Swinburne University of Technology) as they discuss these 'electric' Alices and the unique representations of girlhood across time, space and media, exploring historical significance, contemporary potency and what Alice might mean in the future.

With each technological advancement, from early documentaries to social issue games and immersive VR, we've heard the promise of being able to step into alternate perspectives, to feel and share and experience a more complex type of understanding. But are these supposed "empathy machines" distancing us from true empathy and closer to voyeurism? In this talk we interrogate the ethics, assumptions and privileges associated with technological storytelling. Hosted by Santilla Chingaipe with Dr Fincina Hopgood, Brett Leavy and Amani Naseem.

How does a museum collect WeChat? Or show a laptop that was destroyed by security agencies because it held government secrets leaked by whistleblowers? How could a museum collect computer viruses, or use source code to reveal decisions made by designers when a product was being made? Digital design, game design and media design are all important aspects of contemporary design, yet institutions have struggled to effectively exhibit and collect, let alone 'preserve' them for future generations. Seb and Natalie discuss current institutional approaches, including the V&A's rapid response collecting initiatives and ACMI's digital preservation.

Video games can transport players into ethereal experiences, create unique communities and become a medium for interactive and experimental art. Join game designer and curator Chad Toprak (Freeplay), experimental games designers Michael Samyn and Auriea Harvey (Tale of Tales) and cultural curator Zuraida Buter (Zo-ii) for a deep dive into beautiful, wonderous and experiential game worlds.

There are innumerable theories of Alice, Wonderland and the characters she meets along the way. Was Lewis Carroll inspired by hallucinogens? Reacting to new maths standards? Or having a personal identity crisis? Perhaps the way we see the text tells us as much as our ourselves as it does about the enigmatic author. Join us for a lively dissection of the text's myriad meanings with science communicator Stephanie Pradier, psychedelic VR artist Roger Essig and psychologist Professor Nick Haslam, hosted by author and critic Mel Campbell.

Decolonising the Australian film industry and how First Nations people want to be portrayed are the current debates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait actors, directors and producers. Join our host Leila Gurruwiwi (from Marngrook Football Show) along with guest panelists; award winning author Uncle Bruce Pascoe, playwright and filmmaker Tracey Rigney and academic Crystal McKinnon in a provocative discussion on Aboriginal identity and the Australian film and television industry. Our panelists will explore how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been showcased within the industry and what needs to be achieved by Indigenous film and television practitioners to take control of their identity.