Welcome to Country
University Plaza
Join us for a Welcome to Country at 5:45pm with Uncle Bill Nicholson
Superpleased
Basement
A jewellery workshop using found objects and exhibition remnants. Join Superpleased led by co-founders Eli Giannini and Sue Buchanan, both architects and makers, as they guide you in this hands-on jewellery workshop. Stay for five minutes, stay for an hour, and take home something uniquely yours to wear.
Sue and Eli have exhibited jewellery and object-based work widely and were part of the alumni exhibition Thinking of You: Projects by MGS Architects at MSD in 2023.
El Gran Mono
University Plaza
El Gran Mono is the first picó sound system built outside of Colombia. Picó are huge, hand-painted fluorescent speaker stacks, often found playing tropical music in the ‘barrios’ of cities such as Barranquilla, Cartagena and Santa Marta.
Decorated with animals, aeroplanes, dragons, revolutionary figures or other psychedelic scenes, each picó sound system has its own unique identity (such as ‘The Monster of Sound,’ ‘The War Tank,’ or ‘The Great Wolf’) represented by this distinctive artwork.
El Gran Mono, or ‘The Great Ape,’ features stunning artwork painted by the great Colombian sound system artist William ‘El Maestro’ Gutierrez. The result is a collaboration between Melbourne record collectors Tom Noonan and Johnny El Pájaro in consultation with key members of the picó community in Colombia, making El Gran Mono Australia's own authentic picó.
El Gran Mono pays tribute to the great original picó sound systems, but also seeks to move the culture forward into the international spotlight. With this vision in mind, El Gran Mono has been able to share the sight and sounds of the picó experience with Australian audiences.
Please join us in celebrating the sound of the picó and the sound of Colombia.
DJ ŌLITA
University Plaza
Melbourne-based DJ ŌLITA produces sets that are infused with an undeniable energy, seamlessly blending Afro-Latin and tribal beats into a captivating tapestry of sound. Surrounded by a rich blend of cultures growing up, ŌLITA channels her unique heritage into every beat, creating an experience that’s both immersive and transformative.
Each track is a carefully selected thread in a journey that pulls you deeper, inviting you to lose yourself in the moment. With her intuitive understanding of how to move a crowd, ŌLITA crafts nights that are nothing short of transcendent.
DJ KOBRA-3000
University Plaza
DJ Producer, Carlo Xavier AKA KOBRA-3000 is no newcomer when it comes to forward thinking sounds. Carlo has been curating high energy sets exploring future modern sounds grounded in deep foundational tropical rhythms for almost two decades. KOBRA 3000 is also a key member of the El Gran Mono Picó Sound System & duo The Wild Ones, performing and directing vibrant shows at The Forum, Womadelaide, Rising (Heavy Congress), Vivid, Subsonic, Spilt Milk and the Sydney & São Paulo Biennale.