Quality art fair in Docklands

I find it hard not to write about what’s going on at The District shopping centre.

That’s because this newspaper is Docklands centric and, to be perfectly honest, not as much happens in Docklands culturally as you may think.

Once you take out Blender Studios, the Docklands art precinct, the beautiful library and the sculpture trail, you aren’t really left with much for the public to engage with.

So I am going to talk about the first Friday of the month down at The District (opening night).

So the next one is Friday, May 4 (you may have missed it by the time you have read this article. But I’m going to tell you about it anyway.)

So the Docklands Arts Collective (DAC) is made up of about 15 galleries and creative spaces. They have galleries that include: screen printing, trash puppets, fine art, a comic museum, photography gallery and recycled paper shop. There is even an indoor plant shop, which is cool.

Anyway, so the first Friday of every month is the DAC opening night. Every space has an event or gallery opening.

So all the gallery spaces invite all their guests, everyone has a drink, checks out heaps of art, and an awesome night is had by all. You can spend a lot of time going from one space to another and still not see all the art. It’s like a giant contemporary art fair – every month. I have a solo show coming up on the first Friday in July you should come check out the space. It’s pretty fun.

On Friday, July 4 Blender Studios will join DAC with an opening of an interactive art installation in the new Blender Projekt Space by Simon Doyle and Darkhorse experiment.

Will be launching Thai artist Nakarin Jaikla’s amazing performance and installation The Boundary of Void which will be open throughout the month (pictured).

I was lucky enough to be in an international art workshop earlier this year with Nakarin and was blown away by the quality of his work. He is formally trained in dance – a medium that he uses as a tool to convey his subtle and sensitive ideology through art performance.

If you can’t make it to these Friday night events, don’t stress. Every Sunday The District runs its Makers Market from 11am – 4pm and all the art spaces open their doors, plus there is music, workshops and food.

So get down and check out some of these quality fine art and research establishments, or get ya face painted and drink some locally-sourced gin.

Ya can see why it’s hard not to just write about The District as there is so much going on.

Have an awesome month.

Like me on Instagram: doylesart

Peace out.