The alternative music scene of the ‘90s is the focus of this new major exhibition at the Powerhouse. Unpopular draws on artifacts from the archive of renowned music promoter Stephen ‘Pav’ Pavlovic, the founder of the legendary Summersault festival tour. A key player in the music industry, Pav was responsible for the first and only Australian tour by Nirvana, and also brought the likes of the Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Beck, Foo Fighters, Pavement, Rancid, Jawbreaker, Bikini Kill and the Amps to our shores.
Working with designer Alice Babidge, Pavlovic has put on display over 200 items from his personal collection, including photographs, posters, graphic art, fanzines, tour itineraries, setlists, and personal letters and postcards, along with previously unreleased video footage, music demos, and live audio recordings. In addition, artist Lillian O’Neil and filmmaker Julian Klincewicz have created major new works.
Accompanying the exhibition is the film program Uncensored (Dec 2-4, 2022), featuring crucial music documentaries such as Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust, Fugazi’s Instrument, Cobain: Montage of Heck, The Man from Mo'Wax, and Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. There’s also Unproductive (April school holidays, 2023), a series of art workshops from Ben Brown and Paul Curtis, and Unfocused (Nov 3 + 12, 2022), a music photography masterclass with Sophie Howarth. For fans of the music and veterans of the ‘90s alike, this is a can’t-miss exhibition.
The exhibition is free to check out, and the film series and workshops are ticketed, so plan ahead if you don't want to miss out. Unpopular is open from October 27, 2022. Find out more here.
