The Art of Melbourne

Location:
Australia

art, culture, music

By Tami Shaloum

The bus finally pulled up to the curb of the Melbourne Arts Centre and I rushed off as soon as the doors opened. The fresh air and a few splashes of cool water from the fountain revived me from the stupor of a long bus ride. I immediately set off to acclimate myself to the unfamiliar city by wandering aimlessly and letting my somewhat dubious sense of direction be my guide, my modus operandi whenever I enter a new place. Over the course of the next few days, I came to realize how appropriate it was that my entree to Melbourne was the Arts Centre. The heart and soul of the city is, most assuredly, the arts. During my visit, I packed in enough art and entertainment to feed my soul for an entire year.

My first stop was the Royal Exhibition Building, where the Melbourne Art Fair was set to show over the course of the week. Over 80 galleries from Australia, Europe, and Asia were represented, showcasing their art. Normally the price of admission would be AU$22, but I saw most of it for free! I showed up the day before it officially opened when everyone was still setting up and installing the pieces. I simply walked in and nobody stopped me from looking at the art. In my opinion, I gained a better perspective than if I had gone after it was all set up because I got to see how most of it gets displayed. It was interesting to see how some pieces are put together like puzzles or painted right on the wall.

To balance the economy of the day, I opted to pay AU$20 for the Pablo Picasso/Dora Maar "Love & War" exhibit at the National Gallery of Victoria. A dynamic show, it illustrated how the two influenced each other's work. Maar's photos showing the process of creating "Guernica," Picasso's most famous painting, were really exciting.

Although I paid for some things, I also hit the jackpot in free entertainment; important, as I was nearing the end of my trip and thus the bottom of my bank account. The hostel I stayed in offered entrance to a free comedy show held at a pub in the bohemian neighborhood of Fitzroy. The comedienne was doing a trial run before she went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is why it was free--but she was actually really funny. I was delighted and decided to stay out after the show and see what else I could stumble upon. I ended up walking by another pub on a random side street that was holding an open mic night. Believe me when I say that every performer was amazing--not a dud in the lot! I probably would have paid to see half of them on stage. It's definitely not an exaggeration to say that Melbourne is the culture capital of Australia and that there's an abundance of talent. I couldn't believe how gifted some of these people were, and they were all pretty much amateurs! I struck up a conversation with one of the performers, an acoustic songstress, and she told me that the guy on stage at the moment was actually a well-established musician in Melbourne, which shows how unpretentious the music scene is in this city. He was an exceptional guitarist and rich vocalist, playing a cool bluesy brand of funk and sounding like a cross between Ray Charles and Steve Winwood. Then, the host of the evening went on stage and he blew the audience away with his thoughtful lyrics and the intense emotion in his voice.

As if all that wasn’t enough, the Melbourne International Film Festival was also on at the time. Although funds were running low at this point, I forked over the AU$15 to see one of the festival entries, an American documentary called "Shakespeare Behind Bars" about prison inmates performing Shakespeare’s "The Tempest." It seems I spent my money wisely—it was excellent! Seeing this extraordinary film reinforced my admiration for Melbourne. I simply couldn’t believe how much the city had to offer. And I haven’t even mentioned the natural beauty of the beaches, the diverse architecture, and the bustling markets of this spirited city.

Further Information

Travel tips: Walk everywhere to get the full spectrum of the city and to see all the different architecture. When you get too tired from walking, simply hop on a tram and take it to some unexplored neighborhood. There's a free tram that circles the city center and gives explanations and histories of some of the sites it passes.

Must see/do at this place: See an art exhibit at the National Gallery of Victoria. Hang out in Fitzroy for some bohemian culture and to get a real taste of the music scene. Go down to St. Kilda and the beach, perhaps going inside Luna Park, an old amusement park.