22 July, 2014

Japanese Gardens To Become Anime Wonderland

Anime art displays, interactive games, high-tech music, food stalls and origami workshops will converge on the Himeji Gardens adjacent South Terrace as part of a gallery exhibition paying homage to Japanese animated film.

Spirited will be a day-long event in late July as part of an initiative supported through Splash Adelaide and curated by local artists Joshua Smith and Kat Coppock.

City of Adelaide Deputy Lord Mayor Natasha Malani said the pop-up style gallery is an example of the city embracing and supporting cultural events during the winter months.

“Vibrant activity in the city extends well beyond March; we welcome and support events throughout the year and Spirited will attract a diverse demographic of people to the city,” she said.

“Spirited is an example of the success of Splash Adelaide in identifying off-beat quirky ideas and supporting them to become a reality.”

Event Director Joshua Smith previously curated city gallery Espionage in Rundle Mall and said he is excited to be embracing new ways to engage an audience.

“Bringing art to people has many benefits for the wider community and having 25 artists at the event will offer such an array of colour and imagery for those who attend,” he said.

“It will be like walking into an anime set, you will almost expect there to be a Forest Sprite peeking out from behind the trees.”

Spirited will pay tribute to and be inspired by the styles of Studio Ghibli who have produced a number of iconic Japanese animation films.

“It was something we had planned to do months ago, but we weren’t sure if it would ever happen –so we are thrilled,” said Joshua.

“We’re aiming for it to be a family-friendly event and between the original artworks, the stalls, games, and paraphernalia there’s something for fans and people new to Japanese culture.”

Spirited will be held on Saturday 26th July between 10am-5pm at the Japanese Himeji Gardens Adelaide

Rebecca Draysey