Brisbane Writer’s/Uplit Festival
15 metre custom digital print: Fabric Solutions
Projection mapping: Ikonix
The dome was called “Angel’s Palace”
“Angel’s Palace is an immersive literary experience first presented at Brisbane Writers Festival 2017. Paying tribute to Carpentaria, Alexis Wright’s monumental, award winning work and designed by acclaimed Brisbane-base artist Gordon Hookey, it is a multi-media venue with performances and installations brought to life by creative collaborators, including creative producer Alethea Beetson. Angel’s Palace represents the voices of indigenous Australia and celebrates First Nations storytelling and literature in a powerful experience for audiences.
Challenge
Transpose an original art work onto the three dimensional hemisphere dome.
Erect the dome on a platform with minimum space around the dome to place ballast blocks
Solution
A one metre diameter hemisphere was made out of expanded polystyrene. A canvas was stretched on to this solid dome and an original artwork was created by Gordon Hookey.
This artwork was then photographed and expertly transposed onto the 360 square metres of Ferrari fabric. Complex segments of the hemisphere were welded together by Fabric Solutions to create one seamless 7.5 metre high dome artwork.
One tonne blocks were place on the platform before the dome was built, and The Dome Company lowered the one tonne frame into place using our proprietary ‘tripod’ system
Setup and execution
The shape of the dome reflects Aboriginal architecture, especially that of traditional ‘humpies’. Using Alexis’ words as inspiration, Gordon Hookey created a visual design which was reprinted on a massive scale.
Entering inside Angel’s Palace, audiences experience an evocative digital landscape, transporting them across time and place to Alexis’ mystical world.
Video designer Ken Weston, sound designer Guy Webster and Lighting Designer Ken Hughes collaborated with the teams at Iceworks Design and Reverse Garbage in a unforgettable immersive venture, with Brisbane Design Company DWDC Designs, creating a beautiful site design. The whole project was brought together by the inspiring direction of creative producer Alethea Beetson.
“Angel’s Palace is a multi-disciplinary collaboration that represents the voice of indigenous Australia and celebrates Aboriginal storytelling and literature in a powerful experience for audiences.”
