Our Beloved Summer

Exhibition - October 22th - 26th

Inspired by Bryan Adam’s famous verse in ‘Summer of 69’
”But when I look back now
That summer seemed to last forever
And if I had a choice
Ya, I’d always wanna be there
Those were the best days of my life”!

‘Our Beloved Summer’ reminisces over 2000-2010 Asian Popular Culture, within an Australian context. Through the lens of Instagram Our Beloved Summer reflects on illustration, pastel colours, acoustic and indie vibes, gatherings, familial ties, and the enduring friendships of never-ending summers.

This event shares elements of Asian Pop culture, integral to the cultural upbringing for many Asian millennial and generation Z. These nostalgic popular cultural experiences have since become recognisable irrespective of ethnicity, being shared across geographical borders. Indeed, the sentimental ‘longing’ embraced in this exhibition is universal – and seeing the artists embody the passion and nostalgia of youth leaves us wistfully longing for our own individual pasts, becoming lost in our own assorted memories of hazy summer days.

Presented by Utopia & Fringe Brisbane Festival, curated by Gemma Truong and Perrin Millard, this nostalgic-themed exhibition showcases the work of 12 local creative artists: Damon Ting, Georgia Richards, Jessica Rainier-Pope, Makiko Ramsay, Melody Parade, Michael Develos, Michelle Seo, Perrin Millard, Ruei-Ching Chen, Siluni Kumarapperuma, Tran Lam Ha and Yin Lu.

PROGRAM (see also Facebook event)

• Saturday 22nd - gallery opens 11 am to 5 pm

  4 pm - Korean Book Club presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre Australia. A conversation with Choi EunYoung will be moderated by Dr Sung-Ae Lee (International Studies lecturer, Macquarie University) and Courtney Stewart (Artistic Director, La Boite Theatre). This event is inclusive and is suitable for people who have not read the book before.
  Book of the month: Shoko’s Smile by Choi EunYoung. A bestselling and award-winning debut collection from one of South Korea’s most prominent young writers. In the title story, a fraught friendship between an exchange student and her host sister follows them from adolescence to adulthood.

  5:30-9:30 pm - Uplate Beat Sessions, hosted by Shoku, the artist collective behind Beat Sessions/Retreat.

• Sunday 23rd - gallery opens 11 am to 5 pm

  4 pm: Meet & Greet with Melody Parade - Brisbane-based J-Pop idols group.

• Monday 24th to Wednesday 26th - gallery opens 4 pm to 8 pm