public program, gallery I

Visual Artists in Residence: The Bait Fridge, 'Art Basics'

A group of artists sit together with paper mâché props

March 17 - May 29, 2020

Art Basics home workshop
When: Sunday, April 19, 10am
Cost: Free

Art Basics performance
When: Sunday, May 24, 11am
Cost: $15 car performances


*** Please note that due to the unfolding COVID-19 situation, The Mill’s galleries and studios are closed to the public. If you have any questions, please email our Visual Arts Curator Adele Sliuzas***

The Bait Fridge are our incoming Artists in Residence in The Mill's Exhibition Space in 2020. Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, this residency is developing new ways of creating digital content so that the residency can be available online. The Bait Fridge collective will be in residence from March 17 to May 29. With a focus on artistic process, this two-month residency allows audiences direct access to creative research and making. This residency is presented in partnership with City of Adelaide.

The Bait Fridge is a multi-disciplinary collective from South Australia whose members collaborate under a unified banner to create works and performances which combine the practices of music, art, dance, costume and theatre. Through this project The Bait Fridge will be developing ideas, costumes, performances, sculpture and music. Working with materials that other people might consider to be trash allows the collective to see beyond traditional boundaries of artists practice. Each of the members of the collective brings their own unique energy, while working collaboratively, with each other as well as audiences, allowing The Bait Fridge to explore new ways of creating and bringing new understandings to concepts of ‘art’ and the role of the ‘artist’.

The Mill invites you to witness The Bait Fridge’s creative practice digitally and gain insight into their collaborative process as the residency unfolds across a 10 week period.

Although we are currently practicing social distancing, in light of COVID-19, we will be presenting digital content for you to enjoy from the comfort of your homes. Please keep an eye on our social media for updates.

Collective practice is the mitochondria of the BF cell. All of our individual practices have been challenged and mulched by the collective environment of the Bait Fridge. It has taught all Baities at different times how to let go of sole authority over their own work (independence is an illusion! No person is an island!), and that can be an incredibly liberating experience but also something uncomfortable! The Bait Fridge is a constant exercise in creative compromise and resourcefulness, and everyone in the crew has gone on to draw from the group in different ways in their personal projects, whether it is by reaching out for people to perform in their work or get involved in some way, or even just to have a tight community to use as a springboard when we need support.’ -Emmaline Zanelli


The Mill in Conversation Podcast

During the residency The Mill’s Visual Arts Curator Adele Sliuzas recorded a podcast with members of the Bait Fridge. Visit The Mill’s soundcloud to listen to podcasts with previous residents Carly Tarkari Dodd, Sonja Porcaro & Matthew Fortrose.

WORKSHOP

In April The Bait Fridge collective held a ZOOM workshop that explored costuming and performance.
Artist collective The Bait Fridge will be exploring themes from their project 'Art Basics' as part of The Exhibition Space Residency program at The Mill.

Log in from home (We'll post a link on the day) for a creative session using household items! Bait Fridge artists will talk about their creative process, their use of materials and the collaborative & performative aspects of their project.

Workshop details:
FREE- please register your place via Eventbrite
Open to anyone
Beginner skill level
use your own household materials
Now presented via ZOOM


Artists Biography

The Bait Fridge is a multi-disciplinary collective from South Australia whose members include Felix Rossbach, Zeno Kordov, Dave Court, Declan Casley-Smith, Greta Wyatt, Adrian Schmidt Mumm, Annabel Scheid, Henry Jock Walker, Liam Sommerville, Tom Hannagan, Arlon Hall Hari Koutlakis, Mat Morison, Emmaline Zanelli, Kaspar Schmidt Mumm and Daria Koljanin. They collaborate to create works and performances which combine the practices of music, art, dance, costume and theatre. It began in 2014 at Blenheim Music and Camping Festival in Clare Valley as a spontaneous performance of expressive art and experimental music. The Bait Fridge has consistently performed at Blenheim Festival every year since - growing from a 5-piece outfit in its inception to over 15 participants in 2018 - finding its way into elaborate costume construction, audience participatory art making and The Bait Fridge Band. Recent works have involved improvised narrative performance with accompanying music, sculptural instruments, professional dancers, audience involvement, workshops and elaborate stage construction. The Bait Fridge have performed and activated spaces consistently from their conception including SALA’s Finissage events, Activate Ramsay’s Place (Colonnades Shopping Centre), SMOCK and AGSA Neo Teens workshop.


About the program

The Mill’s Exhibition Space Residency program positions artistic process to the fore, allowing audiences direct access to creative research and making. During this residency The Exhibition Space operates with a studio-like mentality where knowledge arises through collaboration, participation and experimentation. The Exhibition Space opens the creative process to the public, connecting people to cultural experience, insights, understanding and meaning.


Image: The Bait Fridge, Top Row (From Left to Right) Felix Rossbach, Zeno Kordov, Dave Court, Declan Casley-Smith, Greta Wyatt, Adrian Schmidt Mumm, Annabel Scheid, Henry Jock Walker, Liam Sommerville, Tom Hannagan & Arlon Hall. Bottom Row (From Left to Right) Hari Koutlakis, Mat Morison, Emmaline Zanelli, Kaspar Schmidt Mumm, Daria Koljanin