Ava Broinowski

“Aphoristically expressed: intellect is born exclusively of suffering”, says Hungarian psychoanalyst Sándor Ferenczi. You can’t say that though, because suffering is really bad. Many believe it ought to be purely regrettable. However, that good things may come from something is not and should not be confused with a reason to advocate for its perpetuation. Here, it is instead in pursuit of an adequate and reverent response to suffering.

On the 1st of September, we converged upon Phoenix Central Park to see ilex, unsure of what to expect. The venue called ilex’s music ‘percussion-meets-electronic’, which is descriptive enough to be evocative, but mysterious enough to contain hundreds of sonic possibilities. Following a short opening set by Peter Hollo, which was unassuming yet funky in all the right ways, ilex began.

Liveworks is not a typical performance showcase. It seeks ideas, images, sounds, movements, and stories that are truly different to anything experienced before. With a large program of free activations within the main space of Carriageworks, the atmosphere is free and spontaneous. There is always something happening, and it truly feels like a festival, a far cry from staring at the wall and making conversation until intermission is over at one of Sydney’s more traditional theatre companies.