Launching tonight VOLUME is a new festival of sound and vision  at the Art Gallery  of New South Wales headlined by American Grammy  Award winning R and B singer and songwriter Solange who will debut new music at three sold out shows.

Over the next 17 days, Volume will feature 86 local and international trailblazing musicians, boundary-pushing filmmakers and cutting-edge performers, presenting more than 50 music, film and dance events, by day and night, across the Art Gallery’s new North and original South buildings. 

In her only Australian appearances this year, Solange will premiere two original orchestral compositions on 29, 30 September and  1 October, 7–11pm. Solange has performed in some of the world’s most renowned museum and gallery environments, including the 2019 Venice Biennale, J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles (2019), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2017) in New York. 

During the festival, the Art Gallery’s new SANAA-designed North Building will transform into two unique performance spaces comprising the Tank – a former Second World War oil tank, now a spectacular art space – and the 13-metre-high atrium and sculpture gallery spaces on lower level 2. By day, the North and South buildings will offer free live music, dance performances, an immersive film experience and workshops. 

Minister for Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs and Tourism John Graham said: ‘Congratulations to the Art Gallery of New South Wales on bringing the gallery alive with music. Volume is a unique use of the gallery space to give audiences an opportunity to experience this diverse program of live music, film, art and dance.’

Volume is an unmissable opportunity to experience a diverse program of live music, film and dance in one of Sydney’s most spectacular new venues.’

The festival kicks off this evening with performances by leading First Nations artists and collaborators, including Ojibwe musician Joe Rainey (US), Dharawal and Inuk vocalist Sonya Holowell performing solo and as one half of experimental duo Sumn Conduit, plus a new score by Kombumerri experimental club musician salllvage that loops across the night, alongside large-scale projections courtesy of Murri artist Tahlia Palmer and cyber dreamscapes by Serwah Attafuah.

Over the weekend, Volume presents a one-night-only multi-layered performance across the North Building by award-winning Zambian musician, vocalist and rapper Sampa The Great on Saturday, 7–9.30pm. In her first performance in an art gallery context, Sampa The Great will be accompanied by her whole band from Zambia and the show will explore dance as a language. Also, South Korean–Japanese musical family TENGGER create psychedelic drone magic with harmonium, voice and analogue synths alongside Kim Moyes (The Presets), who will play the vibraphone in a rare solo performance of percussion on Sunday, 6–10pm. 

Other ticketed events include Lonnie Holley, Mourning [A] BLKstar, Lee Bains III, Hilary Geddes, Maissa Alameddine and Hamed Sadeghi, and Jeff Parker on 26 September, 7–11pm; FUJI||||||||||TA, Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and crys cole on 3 October, 7–11pm; and Mount Eerie, Black Belt Eagle Scout and Naretha Williams on 5 October, 7–11pm. 

Art Gallery of New South Wales director Michael Brand said: ‘We are proud to be breaking new ground in the curation of music in public art museums with the launch of Volume, the Art Gallery’s first dedicated festival of cutting-edge live music, film and dance made possible by our expansion, through the Sydney Modern Project. 

‘We look forward to welcoming this evening’s visitors, who will be among the first members of the public to experience live music in the breathtaking Tank, located at the deepest layer of the Art Gallery. It is sure to be a truly unforgettable experience.’ 

A highlight of the free music program is North and South, an extraordinary two-night series of world premieres and new music commissions by renowned musicians created in collaboration with composer, artist and curator Lawrence English (Room40), taking place on Wednesday, 27 September and Wednesday, 4 October, 5-10pm. Artists include experimental music pioneers Annea Lockwood (NZ/USA), David Toop (UK), and Ellen Fullman (USA) to Australia’s own amby downs, JWPaton, Lisa Lerkenfeldt, and many more. 

Ensuring every visit to the Art Gallery during Volume is memorable and unique, Tones, Moves, Strings is a three-part program featuring 47 intimate improvised performances, spanning music and dance, by more than 35 artists from across Sydney and Australia that will pop up across the North and South buildings daily during the festival at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm.

Families seeking activities during the school holidays are encouraged to experience Tones, Moves, Strings, and join Indonesian–Australian visual artist Jumaadi and his Shadow Factory collaborators for a free 2-hour shadow-puppet theatre workshop titled Paper, scissors, shadow, held on 23, 24 and 30 September and 1 and 2 October. 

In addition to the music program, Volume features two major new art commissions by mid-career Australian artists that will transform the Tank during the day through moving image, light, electronic music and dance. Starting tomorrow, visitors can view the Art Gallery’s first moving image commission for the Tank, A concave space, by UK-based Australian filmmaker and artist Sam Smith, which transforms the Tank into a futuristic, neon wetland featuring multiple synchronised projections that spill across a 40-metre expanse. On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October, Sydney dancer and choreographer Angela Goh presents Axe Arc Echo, a new 4-hour performance commission that takes audiences on an unflinching physical journey which perseveres against intense sonic forces and the vastness of the Tank itself.  

Volume is proudly supported by the NSW Government through the Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative and strategic sponsor Destination NSW. 

For the full festival program and tickets ($55–$199), visit volume.sydney. Tickets on sale now. No bookings are required for free events. Subscribe to the Art Gallery’s Artmail e-newsletter to stay up to date with Volume news and announcements.  

Featured image : Hilary Geddes. Pic April Josie