The exhibition Metastasis is an exploration of the artist’s anxiety in relation to social ecology, urban sprawl and the environment. Through a series of installations and sculptures, Toohey draws direct comparison between the human pattern of malignant urbanism, mass consumption and depletion of natural resources back to the spread of a disease.

WHAT: Exhibition Opening – Metastasis by Hannah Toohey
WHEN: 6-8pm
WHERE: M Contemporary, 37 Ocean St. Sydney
HOW MUCH: Free, more info here

Join at UTS Gallery for talks by exhibition artists Gail Priest, George Poonkhin Khut, Peter Blamey, Pia van Gelder and Tom Smith as part of the public program for Sounding the Future. This will also be a celebration for the launch of the exhibition e-publication, with a catalogue essay by Lizzie Muller.

WHAT: Artist Talks: Sounding the Future
WHEN: 6-7pm
WHERE: UTS Gallery, 702 Harris St. Level 4, Ultimo
HOW MUCH: Free, more info here

Fatal Crush is a reading series for emerging writers, readers, listeners, critics and theorists at UNSW Art & Design, facilitated by current students and staff. It’s a space for sharing work in progress, new thinking and the voices of undergrads, postgrads and recent grads.  June Miskell, Jade Muratore, Matty Varnay and Jaclyn Fenech will be reading work around the theme ‘archive’.

WHAT: Readings – Fatal Crush
WHEN: 5:30-7:30pm
WHERE: The Black Box, UNSW Art and Design, Cnr Oxford St. and Greens Rd. Paddington
HOW MUCH: Free, more info here

“It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win.
”- John Paul Jones, musician. This explosive new work fuses movement and dance with the personal stories of young adults. Shopfront’s Harness Ensemble joins forces with actors from ATYP to interrogate the worlds we find ourselves in.

WHAT: Theatre Production
WHEN: 11:30am (Matinee) Thurs – Sat 7pm until 26th August
WHERE: Australian Theatre for Young People, Studio 1
HOW MUCH: $35, more information

This documentary is a provocative journey into the ocean realm, witnessing this critical moment in time when the marine world is on a precipice. Following the film, a Q&A with film producer Karina Holden and Take 3 for the Sea’s Tim Silverwood, will explore how we can all take meaningful action for healthier oceans and to protect our marine life.

WHAT: Film Screening + Q&A
WHEN: 6:00-8:30pm
WHERE: Parliament of NSW,
HOW MUCH: $15, more information

Sydney photographers Nyk Sykes, Jessica Matino, Dan “Ears” O’toole and Catherine Hourihan come together for “HER”, an exhibition showing the psychological interior and external physicality of women. “HER” mixes sexuality, beauty, poignancy and mystery all in one room at M2 gallery.

WHAT: Photography Exhibition Opening
WHEN: 6-9pm (open until 13th August)
WHERE: M2 Gallery, Surry Hills
HOW MUCH: Free, more information

Explore photography’s relationship to surveillance, digital superabundance and digital culture in this new course designed to question our dependence on data and technology, and their role in monitoring and manipulating our behaviour.

WHAT: Workshop – Surveillance and Mobile Photography
WHEN: Two week course, Thursday 10th and 17th 6-9pm
WHERE: Australian Centre for Photography, 66 Oxford Street
Darlinghurst
HOW MUCH: $65-75 Tickets and info here

In a time where faith and religion are constantly under fire from the majority secular opinions, this play comedically comments on how teenage faith plays out in adult life. Four friends from a youth group follow four very different faith journeys leads to one snug log cabin in ‘Quite Drunk, Very Jesus-y’.

This is a rehearsed reading of Grace De Morgan’s play at the Old 505 Theatre in Newtown as apart of the Young Playwrights Festival by Apocolypse Theatre Co.

WHAT: Quite Drunk, Very Jesus-y

WHEN: Thursday 10 August 8:30pm-10:00pm

WHERE: Old 505 Theatre in Newtown

HOW MUCH: $10. More info here.

A movie, bottle of wine, pizza and music? What could be more perfect? Perhaps a pop-up Freshflix Film Festival at Cake Wines Cellar door. Freshflix is bringing a night of the best short films from the past year. Freshflix has toured around breweries, warehouses, cafes and theatres in Sydney and Wollongong, with a focus on showcasing the very best short films from Australia and around the world. So grab a bottle of wine and pizza from the cellar door and settle in for a night of comedies, docos and everything in between. To top it off, drummer Cat Drummer will be bringing you a DJ set from 9pm, so get ready to have a good time.

WHAT: Best Short Films of Freshflix x Cake Wines Cellar Door

WHEN: Thurs 10th August, 6pm-10:30pm

WHERE: Cake Wines Cellar Door in Redfern

HOW MUCH: $15. More info here.

Using both photography and video study Gillian Kayrooz and Harry Klein explore the relationship between observed landscape and constructed portraiture. Kayrooz focuses on the video and creating surreal stories and redefines the everyday through abstraction and isolation. Where as Klein is a performance based artist using photomedia, video and sound re-imagining urban landscape and its impression on identity. Exploring the paradox between high and lowbrow culture and conventional contemporary Australia their works explore alternative suburban identities that are not tied to any time period.

WHAT: Constructing the Observation

WHEN: Thurs 10th August, 4pm-7pm

WHERE: DedSpace Gallery, Rozelle

HOW MUCH: Free. More info here.

It’s the opening night of the 8th annual John Fries Award and Finalist Exhibition, where we will announce the winner of $10,000 from 12 finalists from around Australia and New Zealand. This exhibition has established itself as a platform for some of the most engaging and experimental contemporary artworks from the region.

WHAT: John Fries Award Opening Night & Winner Announcement
WHEN: 6-9pm
WHERE: The Black Box, UNSW Art and Design, Cnr Oxford St. and Greens Rd. Paddington
HOW MUCH: Free, more info here

Meet the artists who have created over the last week, a public exchange through challenging and experimental drawings on the walls of the National Art School.
WHAT: The Drawing Exchange Launch
WHEN: 5pm – 7pm, Exhibition continues till the 2nd September.
WHERE: The Hoff Project Space, National Art School, Darlinghurst
HOW MUCH: Free, more info here

Surrounded by the political and historical legacies and materials presented in Down the Barrel: Indigenous Resistance, speakers will discuss the past, present and future of Indigenous resistance within Sydney, across the nation and around the world.

WHAT: A day of conversations for Down The Barrel: Indigenous Resistance exhibition
WHEN: 1-3pm
WHERE: Verge Gallery, Jane Foss Russell Plaza, City Rd. University of Sydney, Darlington
HOW MUCH: Free, more info here

Multidisciplinary artist Aaron Chen returns for his second encore Performance due to popular demand. This comes after the success of his debut solo show which has taken Australia by storm winning him the Best Newcomer Award at both the Melbourne International and Sydney Comedy Festivals this year.

WHAT: Comedy – Aaron Chen
WHEN: 7:15-8:15pm
WHERE: The Comedy Store, 122 Lang Rd. Shop 207, Sydney
HOW MUCH: $25 Tickets and info here

Belvoir is thrilled to be presenting the Australian Premiere of Taylor Mac’s smash hit comedy. ‘Gender roles and domestic politics are the targets for fierce satire in this savagely funny drama about a soldier who returns to a broken home’ – The Guardian UK

WHAT: Theatre – Hir
WHEN: August 12 – September 10
WHERE: 18 & 25 Belvoir St. Surry Hills
HOW MUCH: $40-72 Tickets and info here

DirtyFeet is passionate about finding ways for professional artists to give back to the community. The Right Foot offers FREE contemporary dance workshops for young people with and without disability, providing a creative activity for those who may otherwise not have access to dance.

WHAT: The Right Foot – Dirty Feet
WHEN: 10am-1:30pm
WHERE: Studios 404, 404 Church Street (Cnr Ross St),
Parramatta
HOW MUCH: Free, bookings essential, more info here