Suns of Mercury: Mediating Multiculturalism Exhibition Launch

The Suns of Mercury exhibition will be launched by Provost Professor Mark Considine in conjunction with the opening of the Association of Iberian and Latin American Studies of Australasia (AILASA) Latin America conference.

Celebrating the ancient power of music and dance to build unity across languages and cultures, the exhibition is inspired by the messenger god Mercury. The winged boots of the Greek emissary Hermes, the forward and backward-looking faces of the Roman god Janus, and the wisdom of the Yorubá child Echú have in common the virtue of exchange. This virtue is transmitted in digital form through the three videos featured in the exhibition. An exploration of the Afro-Cuban concept of human-natural symbiosis, or Aché (screen 1), is accompanied by the musical journey of the Melbourne-based Suns of Mercury band (screen 2) and excerpts of workshops on music and multiculturalism by its members (screen 3). Together the three videos illuminate the contributions of Latin American musicians, dancers, and spiritual leaders in Australia. Use the provided wireless headphones to immerse yourself in their stories as they transgress cultural boundaries and forge common ground.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 4-20 July 2018.

Exhibition designer: Associate Professor Adrian Hearn.