By Derek Schlennstedt
Now celebrating its 17th year, Dandenong Ranges Open Studios is an annual weekend event that invites you into the hidden creative spaces to meet, greet, and learn from extraordinary artists living in the hills.
With each studio space offering unique stories, histories and contexts, the weekend is an opportunity to get an exclusive ‘sneak peak’ into the vibrant making spaces of the Dandenong Ranges.
This year the program is bursting with 28 participating studios, including 10 studios participating for the first time, 6 artist collectives and the new aerie creative ecology artist studios at Burrinja.
Come and see what all the fuss is about on May 9 and 10, 2020.
Let your curiosity guide you through the beauty of the Dandenong Ranges in full autumn glory, the perfect backdrop for an incredible weekend.
Last year, this highly anticipated event saw over 7500 studio visitations.
This year’s program features some exciting and fresh creativity, including, Nerissa Box and her quirky animatronics, Chalom and his street art live art making experiences, Mathieu Dechamps and his exquisitely crafted knives, Eco printing with Jo Horswill and an entrancing look into children’s book illustration with Ilana Payes Greener.
Each studio involved in the program will also contribute a new work to a major group exhibition, WABI SABI; the beauty of imperfection. What is that?
There is no exact translation for the term ‘Wabi Sabi’, but it is a concept within Japanese culture that encapsulates a view on the world.
There are so many interpretations of the theme but they centre around being perfectly imperfect. It’s a belief that nothing in life is finished, perfect or permanent.
Come and see what unfolds at the new Burrinja Gallery from April 23, 2020.
The easy-to-use Open Studios guidebook will be available from Burrinja and throughout the Hills from February 2019, or head to our website openstudios.org.au where you can use the interactive map, book into one of the 28 workshops and events occurring over the weekend.
