The Third Space
In order to create her ‘third place’ contribution, Brienna Macnish first tried to think of the places she’d feel uncomfortable in
As part of this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival, ten artists will create ten site-specific pieces across the city for Uncommon Places. The collection of works explores the concept of the ‘third place’; social locations where people gather, converse or hang out, excluding the home or the workplace.
Brienna Macnish [pictured] is one of the artists contributing, with her audio documentary piece set outside a Swanston Street McDonald’s. “When I looked at the list for suggested third places, it was all things like cafes and bars and libraries, places [that] are not always welcoming and accessible to all demographics,” explains Macnish, “I started thinking, what does a third place look like that I might
feel uncomfortable in or unwelcome? I found that idea and that concept really fascinating.” Macnish studied some criminology during her time at university, and was particularly interested in police move-on powers in the CBD “because yo
ung people use public spaces as their third places.”
For her piece, Macnish has recorded a 12-minute audio documentary featuring conversations she had with people aged 16 to 23 at the McDonald’s on Swanston Street. You download the audio file from the Fringe website and play it through headphones while being at the place of recording. “The idea of site-specific audio theatre is that the real world becomes the mise-en-scène, the frame of which you a
re viewing the work. My hope is that everyone’s experiences of the piece will be different depending on what’s happening in that space.”
Macnish’s last work of site-specific audio theatre, called Home, explored the ‘first place’ and she spoke to elderly people living alone. Interestingly, she’s found similarities with the two works. “The one thing that has connected them is that a lot of people want to talk and maybe a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to have discussions about ideas and opinions. It’s really rewarding to ask people those questions, listening closely to someone you didn’t know before that moment.”
Other intriguing artworks that are part of Uncommon Places include a large-scale abstract mural on the brick wall outside of Readings Bookshop by Rafaella McDonald, a striking series of banners to be displayed on flagpoles around the City of Melbourne Lawn Bowls Club by Jake Preval, and an interactive light and projection installation in the front window of Pellegrini’s by Dann
The Ten Artists involved in Uncommon Places are:
1. Arie Rain Glorie — City Library [pictured]
2. Ben Landau — Cinema Nova
3. Brienna Macnish— Outside McDonald's [Swanston St]
4. Claudia Escobar — The Warren, Fringe Hub, North Melbourne Town Hall
5. Danny Pettingill — Pellegrini's
6. Emily Dalkin — City Baths
7. Jake Preval — City Of Melbourne Bowls Club [pictured]
8. Mark Pritchard — North Melbourne Library
9. Matt Blackwood — Flinders St Tram Stop
10. Rafaella McDonald — Readings, Carlton
Common Room — a temporary Third Space, 25 — 28 Sep, City Square
Uncommon Places runs 17 Sep — 5 Oct for more info click here.
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