Bright bursts of creativity from the College of Arts and Letters will light up FANTASTIC PLANET, the Third Annual Public Arts Festival at ODU. The festival runs Friday through Sunday, Oct. 13-15, 6-10 p.m. at the Barry Art Museum. Augmenting Amanda Parer’s thought-provoking giant humanoid sculptures, ODU students and faculty will bring music, dance, painting, writing, and film to the party, illuminating humanity’s potential on this amazing planet.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll find:
Film
>> As a prelude to the festival itself, catch a free screening of the groundbreaking movie that inspired Amanda Parer’s giant humanoid sculptures, the Czech/French film “La Planète Sauvage,” or, “Fantastic Planet.” See it Thursday, October 12, at the Michael and Kimthanh Lê Planetarium on the ODU campus. Showtime at 7:30 p.m., with a preshow at 7 p.m. Professor Peter Schulman of ODU’s Department of World Languages and Cultures will host a panel after the show. Location and parking info: bit.ly/3SWGx3p
Music
>> ODU’s Monarch Marching Band, the pride of Old Dominion, will help kick off the festival at 6 p.m. Friday, October 13, with a selection of tunes from the 1970s and ’80s.
>> The Diehn Chorale will perform at the Fantastic Planet Festival on Sunday, October 15, at 6 p.m., singing fun, thoughtful repertoire on themes of Earth, our existence on her, and our role as fellow humans together: “Heaven is a Place on Earth” as made famous in the 1980s by Belinda Carlisle, an ethereally piece titled “Earth Song” by Frank Ticheli, and a rousing piece about helping others by reflecting the light they bring into the world titled “Never Let Go” by Rob Dietz.
Dance
>> Performed by ODU Dance students and alumni, “Sculling the Rising Seas” urges contemplation of the delicate balance between human actions and the natural world. It will be performed 8 p.m. Saturday, October 14. Created by Natalia Schradle and Megan Thompson, it seamlessly blends art, dance, and environmental awareness and — when paired with Amanda Parer’s sculptures — becomes a metaphor for Norfolk’s battle with rising sea levels.
“Draped in flowing blue fabric reminiscent of mermaid tails, the dancers perform a ballet of balance and adaptation on Bosu balls. They sway in harmony, mirroring the ebb and flow of the ocean, symbolizing the city’s resilience in confronting rising seas. Sculling, a basic swimming technique, is not just about survival but also deeper water sensitivity, a means to adapt and coexist.”
Art
>> “Nurture | Nature,” on display in the Barry Art Museum’s gallery 2, features works from two ODU Art Department professors. The installation creates a dialogue between Ryan Lytle’s sculptures and Jing Qin’s paintings. “Through a psychedelic use of color and scale, and close examination of the relationship between predator and prey, Ryan Lytle’s felted animalistic sculptures recall some of the outlandish animated creatures depicted in our festival’s source film, Fantastic Planet. Jing Qin’s new series of paintings depict larger-than-life figures cradling animals. These works mimic images of the Madonna and Child, and position humans as the caretaker of all animals on the planet.”
>> Printmaking art students will be making T-shirts on demand throughout the weekend. Participants will be able to select a size and watch their shirt being printed and cured. Designs are based on Parer’s inflatable figures.
>> ODU’s Student Art League will showcase member-created art prints, ceramic works, stickers, crochet and more. Work will be available for purchase.
Games
>> “Planet Jam” is the name of a game-creative event happening in conjunction with the Fantastic Planet festival. A game jam is an event where participants build a video game from scratch during a prescribed time. Hosted by ODU’s new Monarch Institute for Game Design and Development in conjunction with the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center, and ODU’s Game Design Club, “Planet Jam” asked participant to make new games October 2-13. Finished games will be featured at the Pop-Up Video Game Arcade on the last day of the festival, Sunday, October 15.
Writing
>> ODU Writers in Community will host readings from novelists and poets 8 p.m. Sunday, October 15, near the Barry Art Museum and the Fantastic Planet sculptures.
Fantastic Planet Festival: The Third Annual Public Arts Festival @ ODU
Friday-Sunday, October 13-15, 2023
Join us this fall for the Third Annual Public Arts Festival at ODU, featuring works from the thought-provoking “Fantastic Planet” series by internationally renowned Australian artist Amanda Parer.
Over three nights, the area near the Barry Art Museum will be transformed by the presence of otherworldly figures, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and our responsibility to preserve it for future generations. Inspired by the film of the same name, this playful and immersive series of artworks carries an underlying message of stewardship, environmentalism, and our role on this fantastic planet.
Fantastic Planet is generously sponsored by Old Dominion University, the ODU Educational Foundation and the Brock Foundation, presenting artworks by Amanda Parer.
Learn more about the Fantastic Planet Festival at this link.