Groundswell

We know that treading lightly on the Earth is the path to a sustainable future, but how can we work together to make that happen? 

Groundswell is a large-scale participatory experience from leading Melbourne percussive artist Matthias Schack-Arnott, exploring how every step we take impacts our planet.

Taking over the State Library Victoria forecourt and open to anyone, Groundswell invites you to take a step onto its surface and explore. As you (and your fellow participants) shift and move, the work does, too, with thousands of ball bearings rushing underfoot to create a visceral wash of sound and movement beneath you. It’s an ever-changing, immersive and evocative experience that sees you in conversation with the space around you. A place where putting one’s foot in front of the other changes everything. 

Groundswell is public art that speaks to our most pressing issue as humans – what is our environmental impact, and how do we work to change it?

• Matthias Schack-Arnott: Concept, Sound & Visual Design.
• Keith Tucker (Megafun): Technical Design & Management, Lighting Design.
• Tilman Robinson: Sound Design.
• Michaela Coventry (Sage Arts): Producer.

Commissioned and Co-Produced by Melbourne Fringe and Sydney Festival with Principal Partner support from the Naomi Milgrom Foundation. 

This project received Cash to Create through the Fringe Fund, with thanks to Monica Lim and Konfir Kabo, and a Friend of Fringe.