Now or Never, New Melbourne Arts Festival, Announces Lineup

Supernormal's projection for The Neversphere. Courtesy the artists and Now or Never.

By Sam Gaskin – 30 June 2023, Melbourne

The city of Melbourne has announced a new arts festival taking place this winter from 17 August to 2 September.

Among the highlights of Now or Never is Sacra, a 3D-mapped projection by Hungarian artist László Bordos that will illuminate Melbourne's historic Shrine of Remembrance, which was erected in 1923.

Now or Never will also include a 1.2 kilometre art trail curated by art and technology organisation Experimenta.

Jon McCormack will exhibit over 100 solar-powered 'organisms' on the trail, while Sheffield-based new media collective Universal Everything will share a parade of AI generated beasts of all shapes and textures in their video work, Infinity (2023).

Universal Everything, Infinity (2023). Video still. Courtesy the artists and Now or Never.

Other contemporary artists selected by Experimenta include Michaela Gleave, Jarra Karalinar Steel, Theatre of Thunder, Georgie Pinn, and Justine Emard.

Contemporary artists will also exhibit in a giant pop-up dome cinema organisers have dubbed 'the Neversphere'. One of the works showing in the dome is XYZZY: Jess Johnson and Simon Ward, a spinning twisting mandala of human forms created by the two long-time collaborators.

Others showing in the Neversphere include Japanese sound artist Ryoichi Kurokawa, German producer Pantha du Prince, and Spanish video artist Natalia Stuyk.

Now or Never's Foundation Partners are Museums Victoria and Moon Dog Craft Brewery. The art trail is supported by the AU $200 million Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund.

The full programme can be viewed on the Now or Never website. —[O]

Main image: Supernormal's projection for The Neversphere. Courtesy the artists and Now or Never.

Sam Gaskin Sam Gaskin has covered contemporary art for over a decade, mostly from Shanghai, China.