Hyeon-Seo Kwon

Day 1

The first day, we visited The Lume where we got to see the exhibition with artworks from Monet. This exhibition was particularly interesting because of the fact that the Lume included multiple spots where the audience could actually interact with the artwork. For example, people could go into the famous artwork by Monet, The Water Lily Pond, and take photos. There was also a video exhibition where the entire room turned into a giant screen and the audience could watch the video exhibition for approximately an hour. The experience was especially meaningful because of the significance the exhibition holds by visualizing the intersection of art and cutting-edge technology and I hope to visit more of these exhibitions soon.

Day 2

The second day, we first went to tour street art. It was astonishing how so many streets in Melbourne were occupied by this beautiful art. One of the things that stood out to me the most would probably be Bansky’s work as I was interested in his work even before the interim. We also engaged in a workshop where we could essentially create our own spray paint art. I created a Joker which I was somewhat satisfied with. Everyone else’s works were also very cool and I enjoyed taking a look at their works. We also went to the St Kilda Beach festival right after which was also very fun. I think this was the highlight of the day. 

Day 3

We first started the day with kayaking. This was probably the only activity we had that involved physical activity but it was interesting how we could also explore the history of Melbourne while being on the Kayak. After that, we went to do a workshop on Smartphone photography where we learned how to take photos and edit them on Snapseed. Some of the techniques were very cool and I hope to use them again in my personal photos as well. 

Day 4

Starting with The Arts Center Melbourne Backstage guided tour, we could take a peek at what stages in Melbourne looks like and how some of the systems in the backstage work. I learned that a lot of high technology systems take place backstage in order to make the show successful. For example, devices like the acoustic pads or the variety of length of the wood in the seats to maintain good quality of sound were very shocking as I did not know that that much consideration would be put into creating a theatre. After that, we did a puppetry workshop which was pretty fun and engaging. We got to put up our own show using the puppets we created and I enjoyed other people performing. After that we went to the NGV to watch the Alexander McQueen exhibition. Because I was interested in fashion even before the interim, the exhibition was especially captivating and interesting to me.

Day 5

Day 5 we did not really engage in any art or theatre activity and went to the Healesville Sanctuary. Although it was a long bus ride, it was cool how we got to see animals that are almost the symbol of Australia like Kangaroo and Koala. We also got to see the bird show which was also very cool. On our way back, we went to the Chocolate Factory which I found really entrancing as we could see the process of chocolates getting made. I bought a bar of milk chocolate and a package of strawberry chocolate which I still haven’t opened. 

Day 6

We went to the Victoria Market in the morning where I bought food and clothes. The market was pretty big and I liked the fact that we got tee time to explore the market. After that, we went back to the NGV for a guided tour on artworks from the past. One of the things that stood out to me the most was getting to see Picasso’s work in real life. One thing that stuck to me during the tour was how the guide mentioned Picasso’s work aimed to capture the 4th dimension, the time through his unique style. I have never thought of his work in that way before but that allowed me to view Picasso in a new light. We went to another gallery and had a guided tour through Art and Culture of the First Australian. That evening, we watched Mary Poppins which was arguably my favorite part of the entire interim. I usually enjoy watching musicals and watching one in Australia was a very interesting experience. I had high hopes for this event but the show was beyond my expectations. 

Day 7

In the morning we had a workshop with NIDA. We were given an option to choose between costume design and improv prior to interim. I chose costume design but was placed in the improv group. However, the workshop was more fun and engaging than I imagined it to be and I was glad that I got put in the improv group because I think it was an opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and try new activities. After that we had a workshop with Blindside where we got to explore how exhibitions work for artists and how potentially some artists can prepare proposals for exhibitions. During the evening we watched Avatar 2 in the Moonlight Cinema where we got to sit outdoors under the stars and watch the movie. I think this also played a big role in romanticizing the entire experience.