The upcoming show at Concordia Gallery has caused some buzz among the Newington community over the last couple of weeks. Not only does it see Newington College boys pair up with internationally-renowned artistic duo Heather and Ivan Morison, who are currently in Australia exhibiting with the Museum of Contemporary Art, but it also begs the questions, why is this a one-night-only event? What is going to happen which cannot be replicated day in and day out, and what should show-goers expect after they present their boarding pass for their designated “flight”?

Visual Arts has always had a reputation of pushing boundaries and making audiences view the world differently, so we asked Year 11 student Ashan Karunagaran to give us a teaser into the exhibition, and more importantly, how he came to work on Approaching FL350.

“I have been a passionate aviation enthusiast for as long as I can remember, and flying has always been present in every aspect of my life. Flying regularly to Vietnam and Hong Kong to visit family, regular travel within Europe when we lived in Cambridge, and my father’s previous work in aviation all directly influenced my passion.

“When questioned with the idea of an artwork, as with everything else, I instantly thought of all the possible aviation influences. I was inspired by the flight path and the planes that fly over Newington  each day and combined that with the concept of sleeping and lights (night sleeping). I saw an aircraft as the perfect basis for an installation work.

“When I fly, I enjoy every minute of it and take in everything the environment showcases. Night flying always has a sense of awe and beauty associated with it. Whilst many passengers sleep, I admire the stillness and peace in the cabin. The dark cabin, a few flickering entertainment monitors, little repeated seat-belt, no-smoking and attendant call lights dotting the ceiling. The drone of the powerful engines, the intermittent flickering of the blue and red strobe lights. It’s pure bliss and peace. An environment of relaxation.

“As the artwork was to feature the use of light as well as be influenced by the concepts in the work “Sleepers Awake” by Heather and Scott Morison, I found this to be the perfect opportunity to experiment with my passion for aviation and flying.

“I thought that by re-creating a somewhat abstract version of an aircraft cabin at night time, others may experience the awe and wonder that they usually miss when they are sleeping onboard an aircraft.

“On the Friday 16 May we will be showcasing this unique installation, which will  simulate the experience of flying at night. To accompany the flight will be an inflight film, aimed at displaying ideas of transformation. The brief flights will allow viewers to gain new insights through the film, as well as experience occurrences that may otherwise be overlooked.”

Approaching FL350 opens 6:00 PM Friday 16 May. Please click here to book your flight, if you haven’t already.

Ashan Karunagaran (11/KL)
Year 11 Visual Arts Student