So, this edition will speak of ACCA, MRC, Koorie, and of course, Australia’s royal family. On another beautiful morning in Melbourne, a fully recovered Steve and I decided we would visit the Australian Center for Contemporary Art (or ACCA). This had proved to be a tough place to get to and find open for various reasons but, at last we made it! It is housed in an interesting building.

This is how ACCA describes its current exhibition: “Data Relations brings together artist-led projects that lyrically wrestle with some of the key issues and challenges of our contemporary data-driven society. The exhibition includes major new commissions and site-specific installations by Australian and international artists and collectives who critically and speculatively engage with the ways in which the data economy and related technological developments manifest in inter-personal and wider social relationships.”

This is how I describe it— it blew my mind! Looking at these installations through my perspective of how the digital world has grown from infancy during the beginning of my professional career to where it is the subject of philosophical musings that covered topics including surrogacy, how data is being misused, using data as a memorialization of people whose lives are disappeared or destroyed by totalitarian regimes, to data retraining our ways of using words and feelings. I had a few moments to discuss my reactions with one of the young staff members who seemed genuinely interested and excited at my reaction to the exhibition.

On our way back toward the Central Business District (CBD) we noticed several interesting buildings (yes that greenish thing in the middle of the center photo is a building), see below. I particularly liked the Melbourne Recital Center and a couple of skyscrapers that were in the Melbourne Arts Precinct.

Our next stop was at the edge of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. We had noticed a lovely floral clock on our way out to the ACCA and wanted to get a picture of it on our way back. I noticed a statue behind the clock, of and we soon found that it was King George VI, the son of Queen Victoria.

Below, a small island in the garden, a folly, and some roses.

And finally, for this session, this interesting piece of public sculpture called the Genie. It reminded me of my dear friend Jeanne Green. Melbourne, like every city we have visited in this wonderful country has a wealth of public art in its streets, plazas and public gardens. I have one or two more posts to do, but it is now time to close for today.

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