Live Review: AGWA Nights Season Two Launch

Immediately after the death of Robert Hughes, I was compelled to watch the TV series that brought him to greater international prominence as one of the finest art critics in our time, The Shock Of The New. Over the course of the series, Hughes explored the impact that the industrial and technological ages had on the development of modern art in his uniquely eloquent and lucid manner. As fruitful as the relationship between the Art Gallery Of W.A. (AGWA) and New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has promised to be, I hadn't expected to see quite as many works directly referenced in the show in front of me.

From Picasso To Warhol is an immaculately curated exhibition that showcases not just iconic artists but iconic pieces that contributed to the shift in what we understand to be modern art, like Warhol's Soup Cans or Fernand Leger's Woman With A Book. Pulling off a cultural coup like this for Perth is no small task in effort or cost, and it demands heavy traffic, so new concepts in engaging patrons have been introduced, including the AGWA Nights series. Entering its second season, the program meshes music and comedy from a diverse roster of performers with a licensed pop-up bar and extended opening hours to offer the public a very cosmopolitan way to spend a Friday evening.

Opening night for Season Two saw Grace Barbe Kreol Acoustic performing their charming and colourful tropical fusion to an appreciative crowd that was buzzing with end-of-the-working-week energy. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, and the experience of viewing masterpieces of modern art whilst listening to live music and chatter filter up from the ground floor was a refreshing reminder of how Perth is slowly becoming a city of culture. For anyone looking for a memorable alternative to the post-work Friday evening monotony, or for those seeking a sure-thing first date idea, whether you love art or not, you would be hard-pressed to find a better option than this.