Art + Performance: Live Sound and Drawing with Spike Mason + Daria Andrews

Welcome to QVMAGs' FREE Art + Performance series - where musicians, artists, dancers and actors respond to and give new life to our exhibitions through performance.

Join musician Spike Mason and artist Daria Andrews for an improvised dialogue between live sound and drawing the Art Gallery at Royal Park.

This intimate performance weaves music and drawing throughout the contemplative atmosphere of Sam Jinks || Mortal Reflections, encouraging visitors to enjoy the soundscape as a live musical experience or be inspired to respond throug sketching within the space.

Their soundscape invites you into a deeper relationship with two key works:

• Eternal Return: QVMAGs' newest acquisition, a large‑scale orb‑weaving spider inspired by the QVMAG Natural Science collection.

• The Messenger (Iris): the Greek goddess who moves between the divine and the mortal realms.

You will be immersed in a shifting soundscape of saxophones and live drawing. Melodies drift through the gallery spaces, appearing and dissolving around the sculptures.
The performance responds to the architecture, participants movement, and the artworks themselves, creating a contemplative, sensory experience.

How you can take part:

• Drop in anytime — stay for a few minutes or immerse yourself for the full duration

• Join through drawing — bring your sketchbook or use the materials provided

• Listen deeply — absorb the interplay of sound and sculpture as the gallery transforms

• Follow the music beyond the walls — let it carry you into your own landscapes

No bookings are required for this free drop-in event. Whether you participate actively or simply listen, you will be part of a collective performance that blurs the line between audience and artist.

Spike Mason is a Launceston‑based saxophonist, composer, and self‑described “improvising musicianer”, whose work spans genres, traditions, and communities.

With a strong commitment to sonic exploration, Spike creates immersive soundscapes that blur the boundaries between performance and meditation.

His extensive experience includes collaborations across jazz, experimental, folk and classical music, alongside a rich history of community‑based projects that prioritise inclusivity and shared experience. Wesbite: www.spikemason.com

Daria Andrews is a painter based in Tasmania, born in Poland in 1975. Mentored by master post-impressionist landscape artist Alfons Kulakowski, Daria is specialises in large-format oil paintings.

Her works are collected internationally, and her practice focuses primarily on the human figure, with a strong emphasis on women. Through bold and vibrant colour, Daria's work explores themes of disconnection and personal transformation in contemporary society.

Daria has exhibited in Australia and Poland. She shall hold a solo exhibition at Madeline Gordon Gallery from 8 April 2026. Website: www.dariaandrews.com.au

Experience QVMAG like never before with our FREE monthly Art + Performance sessions – where musicians, artists, dancers, and performance artists respond to the museum’s rich blend of art, history and science.

Held each month on a Saturday afternoon, these are FREE drop-in events, with no registration required. With no set lists or schedules, you can stay for ten minutes or two hours.

Step into the imagined world of Sam Jinks, one of Australia's most prominent contemporary sculptural artists.

Renowned for his painstakingly crafted figures, Jinks’ practice reflects upon deeply felt moments of our lived experience.

Imbued with unguarded emotion and raw vulnerability, this unique presentation is one artist’s invitation to reflect on the mysteries of: life || death, and all in-between.

Sam Jinks || Mortal Reflections
Art Gallery at Royal Park | 2 Wellington St, Launceston
14 June 2025 – 10 May 2026
Free entry | Open 10am-4pm daily

Image: QVMAG

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