Sydney Festival: The Huxleys’ Bloodlines at Carriageworks
The 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic and its influence on both queer and popular culture have long been the subject of artistic exploration. The Huxleys – a campy art and performance duo composed of partners Will and Garrett Huxley – have weaved it in and out of their work over the years, but in major new exhibition Bloodlines, it’s taking centrestage.
As part of Sydney Festival 2023, the artists are filling Carriageworks up with photography, video art, costume design and a one-off performance. Together, the works explore the impact the epidemic had on the Australian and international queer community and cultural psyche during the ’80s and ’90s, while also commemorating artists lost to the illness, such as Keith Haring, Leigh Bowery, Sylvester and Robert Mapplethorpe. Curator Jacob Boehme hopes to keep drawing attention to this pivotal moment in art and cultural history.
There’ll be a free disco on opening night, with dance music, sweaty bodies and performances bringing the rebellious fervour and energy of the LGBTIQ+ community of the ’80s to life. The Huxleys, Betty Grumble, Aaron Manhattan, Benjamin Hancock and Simone Page Jones are all performing, with beats from DJ Charlie Villas.
The Huxleys are also giving the debut performance of a new song, also called Bloodlines, written for the exhibition. They’ll also roam the show and dance floor all night in their signature over-the-top costumes, with neighbouring exhibitions Paul Yore’s Word Made Flesh and Thea Anamara Perkins’ Stockwoman open throughout the celebration.
The exhibition runs from January 5 to March 5, 2023 and entry is free. The opening party is on January 4, from 7pm to 10.30pm. Entry to the disco is also free, but registration is required.
Share
