Things are about to get a whole lot more glittery at Carriageworks. Utilising the artists’ skills in costume design, performance and photography, this major new exhibition by Melbourne-based collaborative duo the Huxleys will honour legendary queer artists lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The exhibition will include large-scale photographic works, video art and a big opening night live art party.
For those who are not yet acquainted, the Huxleys are a dynamic duo of cataclysmic proportions who present camp commentary and spectacle across the visual art, performance and entertainment sectors.
The exhibition will also feature a durational collaborative installation that invites the community to contribute panels to be sewn together into a quilt, reminiscent of the AIDS Memorial Quilts created during the ’80s and ’90s. Bloodlines is a heartfelt tribute to LGBTQIA+ artists, including Leigh Bowery, Robert Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring and Sylvester, that continue to inspire the practices of the Huxleys and countless artists working today.
Everyone is invited to get into the disco rhythm of it all at the Opening Night Party on Wednesday, January 4 (7-10.30pm), featuring live performances from The Huxleys, Betty Grumble, Aaron Manhattan, Benjamin Hancock, Felicia Foxx, Simone Page Jones and banging tunes from DJ Charlie Villas. The Huxleys will debut the first performance of their disco song ‘Bloodlines’ written to accompany the exhibition, as well as perform their own hymn-like version of disco icon Sylvester’s anthem ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’. This is a free event, but registration is required.
Want to find out more about the Huxleys? Watch Time Out's video interview with this dynamic duo...
Bloodlines is presented at Carriageworks, Eveleigh, from January 5 to March 5, 2023, as part of Sydney Festival and Sydney WorldPride.