NorthSite Contemporary Arts invites you to Creative Convergence — an evening that brings together artists, filmmakers, musicians, and our wider community for one vibrant end-of-year celebration.
This special event showcases new exhibitions by Hannah Murray, and by the collaborative duo Tetsuya Tabata & Mariana Verdaasdonk, offering an opportunity to hear directly from the artists as they speak about their practices, ideas, and work on display.
With doors and bar open from 3:00pm, guests are encouraged to arrive early, settle in, and enjoy the first moments of connection and impressive new exhibitions.
Following the artist talks and a formal welcome in the NorthSite foyer, the event moves from the galleries and transitions into Bulmba-ja Theatre for a unique cinematic experience. NorthSite is proud to present two short films from Indonesia’s PSBK as part of the Dialog Lensa project: SERAKAH and BERSIAR SINAR. One screening will feature live musical accompaniment by Yogyakarta-based composer and musician Jenar Kidjing. Come along to experience the power of photography translated to the stage, as we prepare to bring Australian artists into the cross-cultural collaboration in 2026. Through a Q&A with collaborators, audiences will gain an insight into the process and understanding of the project’s purpose and its ongoing creative relationship with NorthSite.
The evening concludes back in the gallery spaces, where guests can mingle, revisit the exhibitions, and continue conversations sparked throughout the program. Creative Convergence is designed as a generous, connective, and celebratory event — a chance to witness new work, encounter fresh perspectives, and engage with both local and international creative communities. We encourage you to RSVP, join us, and be part of this rich, multidimensional end of year gathering at NorthSite Contemporary Arts.
Tickets free for NorthSite members, friends, and community.
Please RSVP below – we look forward to seeing you!
More about our exhibitions and special screening
Jakuzuré 蛇崩 | Tetsuya Tabata & Mariana Verdaasdonk
Jakuzuré 蛇崩 (meaning “splitting snakes”) is an immersive installation inspired by an Edo-period tale and the artists’ reflections on how rupture can create new pathways and possibilities. Through projections, sculptures, paintings, and paper cuttings, it invites visitors into an environment shaped by the landscapes of Tokyo and Cairns, where transformation and renewal are constantly in motion. Artists Tetsuya Tabata and Mariana Verdaasdonk merge their complementary practices to create a contemplative space that celebrates cycles of change, growth, and rebirth.
Sunshine Noir | Hannah Murray
Sunshine Noir explores the dynamic tension and interdependence between light and shadow, reflecting the paradoxes of tropical life where beauty and darkness coexist. Influenced by Dutch still life, Ukiyo traditions, and Surrealism, the works blur reality and imagination through layered, unexpected still-life compositions drawn from Far North Queensland. Using vessels, glassware, and tropical flora and fauna as metaphors, the series reflects on ephemeral beauty and the impermanence of life and the natural world.
Dialog Lensa 1&2: ‘SERAKAH’ & ‘BERSIAR SINAR’ Special Screening and Performance
NorthSite Contemporary Arts and PSBK present a special screening of SERAKAH and BERSIAR SINAR, highlighting an ongoing cross-cultural exchange between Far North Queensland and Yogyakarta. This event celebrates a growing partnership supported through Artslink’s Regional // Regional initiative and shares early works from the Dialog Lensa platform. It also offers audiences a glimpse into the development of Dialog Lensa #6, which will continue to evolve through this multi-year creative connection. Together, these screenings invite Cairns audiences to experience powerful performative works that merge photography, performance, sound, and moving image while contributing to a rich and expanding artistic dialogue between the two regions.
