Perth’s answer to the Met Gala and Studio 54 which grace’s Perth with its presence for one night only each year, is back like never before for its third instalment with a new line-up of talent and provocateurs taking to the stage and offering its now notorious and titillating activations at the Art Gallery of Western Australia this Saturday night, 26th May.
If the following list of entertainment and delights in store for this weekend doesn’t excite you, I recommend you have your pulse checked..
Architecture in Helsinki
The Brass Cartel feat. Odette Mercy
The Southern River Band
Ukiyo feat. Your Girl Pho
The Potbelleez
Joel Creasey
West Australian Opera
Zara Bryson (DJ debut)
Ash Baroque I VDLV + Stryker Meyer
Blonde Ambition Floorshow feat. Kinetica, Cultural Renegades and BarbieQ
Gendermess Productions
Koala Parlour
The Confessional
Wearable Art
Champagne G.H.MUMM
Aperol Spritz
Negroni’s by Campari
Italian chow via Comestibles
Ahead of the debauchery, Style Voyeur caught up with one of the performers who is all set to showcase on the night and is very likely going to wow even the most avant-garde attendees of the bunch. Creative flair is an understatement when it comes to describing this artist’s body of work and I am thrilled to share this interview with you all, featuring some tips and tricks for thinking outside the gilded gold box this Art Ball.
A big SV welcome to Ginava from GENDERMESS Productions
Name – Ginava
Hometown – Perth
Occupation – Performance Artist
Style Voyeur: Please describe yourself in 5 words – Ginava: Colourful, Confident, Creative, Crazy, Cross-dresser!
SV: Describe your brand/ business and what you do – Ginava: GENDERMESS Productions is a performance platform that I started 5 years ago when there wasn’t one for artists like myself. We explore the subversive, alternative sides of society and disrupt the whole “spectrum” of gender. It features drag, club kids, dancers, monsters & gender f*** performance artists
SV: Tell me about your involvement in Art Ball and how that came about – Ginava: I attended Art Ball the first year wearing a dress I made and had such a fun time. I love showing my art through fashion, so what better place to do that than Art Ball.
SV: What can guests expect from Gendermess on the night – Ginava: Glamorous drag fashions and some of my favourite creature creations from over the years, showcased by the brilliant high energy Gendermess.
SV: What inspires you to create – Ginava: Music! I find such fascination in how someone’s story can be found in or be told though music. I like to create and interpret my own stories through what I hear in the music and translate them into a visual medium
SV: Where do you seek and find inspiration – Ginava: I’m drawn to performers and artists that can go to many different extremes to trigger certain ideas or view points that would normally be deemed too much or inappropriate. Especially regarding the subjects of gender, religion and sexuality.
SV: How do you best channel your creative energy – Ginava: I like to let go of thoughts and ‘rules’. If I’m too much in my head about what I’m wanting to say or do, I get a creative block. I try and let creative energy come from my gut feeling and instinct so that when I look at the end result, I can be proud it’s come from a centred place.
SV: Do you have a style mantra – Ginava: I don’t dress for anyone but myself!
SV: Who is your style guru? – Ginava: David Bowie, no words needed!
SV: Do you have any advice for the people of Perth in how to dress for the Art Ball – Ginava: If you are saying yourself “I don’t know about this outfit, it might be a bit too much” then thats what you need to wear. Art Ball is the one night you can throw that ‘too much’ concern out the window!
SV: Do you have any advice for the people of Perth on how to be more open-minded and imaginative in the ways they live and dress – Ginava: How I feel in clothes, for me, overrides how I look in clothes. A person’s energy they are feeling inside exudes more than the exterior you are trying to carry off. Dress for how you feel, rather than faking it with something sensible.
SV: If we can have one take-away from your fabulous style ethos to have with us through life, what would it be – Ginava: Taking a fashion risk each time you dress will always teach you something new about yourself. If we were to dress in the same habits everyday, we would never be able to evolve our creativity or style.
SV: What are you most excited about for the future – Ginava: The alternative queer scene and overall perspective in Perth has been growing more and more and the new creative and collaborative opportunities that have come about have gotten me really excited for the future. I’m just taking each day as it comes and putting myself out there as much as I can.
Thank you, cannot wait!
Kennedy ART BALL presented by VOGUE Australia
Sat 26 May 2018 l Tickets from www.artball.com.au
#KennedyArtBall
Art Ball Campaign Shoot – shot for STM Magazine
Creative Team: Photographer – Jeremy Choh, Styling – Zoe Van Zanten, Hair – Pauline McCabe, Make-up – Rebecca Collins, Models – Gemma Stewart, Chanel Caldwell and Lily Grace from Chadwick Models. Artwork from Galleria Corsini, Florence currently on display at the Art Gallery of WA.
