Human 3.0

Curated and produced by aMBUSH Gallery, and presented in collaboration with Central Park Mall and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, HUMAN 3.0 was a multidisciplinary exhibition that took an unbounded look at what Mardi Gras was, is and will be.

HUMAN 3.0 aimed to project and manifest a future where love and diversity are celebrated across our nation. It’s a place where the history of Australia’s Mardi Gras – as a human rights movement – intersects with and educates the contemporary LGBTQI and broader communities.

The exhibition included several dynamic elements, designed to progress the conversation around LGBTQI issues and encourage debate.

For 38 years, the Sydney Mardi Gras posters have been an all-important communication medium. “The Mardi Gras posters visually express the intention of what the festival is all about – they’re an iconic part of its history,” says aMBUSH’s Director Bill Dimas. HUMAN 3.0 featured both a retrospective exhibition of every Mardi Gras poster from the festival’s past, as well as present a view of the future with posters designed by some of Australia’s foremost artists and creative agencies. This represented the first time Mardi Gras has formally invited its contemporary audience to participate in creating its vision.

Exhibitions by two photographers – New York-based Nicholas Contrera and Sarah Wong from Amsterdam – explored the lives and identities of their transgender subjects. Contrera’s body of work, entitled Extra Ordinary – Trans Life, depicts nine high-profile transgender New Yorkers whose accomplishments have been instrumental in moving the trans community forward in society. As a juxtaposition to this, Wong’s delicate and sensitive photo series, Inside Out: Portraits of Cross-Gender Children, captures the ‘inner essence’ of transgender children. Her work seeks to empower them as they explore their humanity. As Sarah explains, “While portraying these children I focused very much on their souls, beyond gender. And so we discovered we were on the same journey. They were looking for a new identity and I was exploring a yogi lifestyle. Our bodies were the vehicles of the souls. Because of this so-called ‘soul-conscious’ awareness, these kids are very much connected to the heart and are very compassionate.”

Also showcased as part of HUMAN 3.0 was the work of the newly formed artist-run collective HAARD (Homo Art and Recreation Division). These Sydney-based young gay male artists exhibited the multidisciplinary works of twelve members, including visual artists, filmmakers and sculptors. HAARD’s exhibition presented the diversity of creativity within the gay community.

HUMAN 3.0’s opening night was on Friday 5 February from 6-9pm at aMBUSH Gallery, Central Park, with Michele Bauer (CEO of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras).