Tassie cave spider to be the vessel through which your fears will be expunged at Dark Mofo
FORGET Shelob or Aragog, Hobart has a new arachnid to help Dark Mofo patrons expunge their darkest fears.
Events
Don't miss out on the headlines from Events. Followed categories will be added to My News.
FORGET Shelob or Aragog, Hobart has a new arachnid to help Dark Mofo patrons expunge their darkest fears.
Each year Dark Mofo punters offer up their fears to the ogoh-ogoh — a large demon-like sculpture, derived from the Balinese Hindu tradition.
MORE: YOUR DAILY DARK MOFO GUIDE
MORE: TOP 10 FREE DARK MOFO EVENTS
MORE: DAVID WALSH IN HIS OWN WORDS
MORE: FESTIVAL PROVIDES PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT
The demons take the form of endangered or extinct Tasmanian creatures, and this year’s ogoh-ogoh is a huge Tasmanian cave spider.
Weighing up to 200kg the handmade, unnamed cave spider will be the centrepiece of the ogoh-ogoh procession.
University of Tasmania Asian Studies lecturer Kaz Ross has helped co-ordinate the project with help from creative producer Cas Charles.
Together with three Balinese artists and a few volunteers the group has constructed the ogoh-ogoh.
“From opening night the community write their fears down on a piece of paper and will place them in the spider’s egg sac,” Dr Ross said.
“Last year we had about 15,000 people participate in writing their fears.”
Ms Charles said the 8m long, 3.2m wide spider had a steel framework with artists weaving strips of bamboo overlaid with paper mache and cotton fabric, and the group had been working non-stop since May 24 to complete the project.
The procession of the cave spider will begin at Parliament Lawns in Salamanca at 5pm on Sunday June 24 and will end with the spider’s burning at Dark Park.
Dr Ross said coinciding with the cave spider theme will be the screening of the award-winning Tassie film Sixteen Legs, which explores the secret life of the cave spiders. The film will be screened at 2pm on Saturday, June 23 at Stanley Burbury Theatr at the University of Tasmania’s Sandy Bay campus.
Watch out! Undead to invade Hobart in zombie march
Blood, brains, guts and gore will once again fill Hobart streets during the annual Zombie Walk this weekend.
Peking Duk announce surprise Hobart show
It is a bit of a risk announcing a show only a few weeks out, but that does not matter when you are Peking Duk. Where and when the electronic duo are playing.