Teddy Bear's Picnic

The guys who restored a little of our faith in the Sydney art scene again (post: Cosmic Peephole) put on a very curious little event recently attended by some Punk Monks Alex, Kaitlyn, Kate, Felix and Michael.

Space|space became a cocoon for anti-nostalgic delight this week as this little bear did go down to the woods (and got a small fright). Stuffed teddys hunted and mounted as trophies decorate one wall whilst a particularly yonic spaghetti kaleidoscope twists and turns upon the other. There is a Warhol-esque pyramid of tinned spaghetti (curiously foreboding and ominous) beneath a set of tweaked childhood photos of teddys ripped open revealing spaghetti insides.

Most of the already quite cosy shed space was occupied by a large pink inflated pillow with another quite yonic opening. Informed that we were to go inside this pillow, which I did not dare until I'd consumed enough beer ( just in case I was to be met with the fright promised if you dare enter the woods...) we watched as people delved in and squeezed out in what appeared to be some warped form of rebirth.

The fright came early however, as we were all quite distracted and jolly from the comical womb entry/exit and the surrounding vibes from what was a cool bunch of people, resounds is Lamb Chop's famous and creepily catchy tune "This is the song that doesn't end (yes it goes on and on my friends..)" and out burst two over sized rabbit/bear (?) heads on smaller white jumpsuit clad bodies bearing silver tongs. They dance eerily as bystanders sport some classic nervous looks almost more comic than the act itself. The purpose of the tongs is revealed as heaps of spaghetti is pulled from the pockets of the jumpsuits and forced upon each other's faces. "Ooohs" and "ughhss" follow and then the earlier distributed plate's printed prettily with little rabbits are suddenly dirtied with slops of spaghetti from within the creatures stomachs.

Eventually the crew lessens as the performance settles and left are enough to fill the floaty womb cramped with a dozen giggling, giddy peoples, housing a stuffing fight paramount to tearing apart the insides of a teddy bear. The Arc funded alcohol steadily in consumption, childish antics ensue- stacks on, more stuffing battles, wine fights and some very poorly tasted joke swapping. I missed out on the inevitable spaghetti fight but with my hair matted with bits of white fluff and wine seeping through my jumper, the night had already exceeded all expectations.

Much credit to Haidee Ireland and Eric Davidson of space|space collective for thinking outside the square and putting on an interactive mind warp of a night which said "stuff the reputation of art shows as boring and/or pretentious, let's have fun!"