The Australian Bite
Australia geared up for the Shanghai World Expo
9 April 2010
Listen and download: MP3
This week on the Australian Bite, we have a sneak preview of the Australian pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, which opens on the 1st of May. We also find out why many young Australians fear the Australian Dream of owning their own home is fast disappearing, and take a look at an exhibition of Aboriginal art which challenges the audience to think again about sterotypes.
Shades of Uluru at the Shanghai World Expo
From May 1st to October 31st, over 70 million people are expected to visit the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. The theme for the Expo is “Better City, Better Life” and aims to promote sustainable and harmonious living in the world’s cities. The Australian Pavilion at the Expo is striking 20 metre high structure that has taken a year to build. Pete Ford from Melbourne based company Think!OTS is the creative brains behind the Pavilion, and I spoke to him about what visitors can expect when they visit the pavilion.
The Australian Pavilion website
The “great Australian dream” under threat?
Australia has one of the highest global rates of home ownership. But in the face of housing shortages and rising house prices, many young Australians believe that what we call “the Australian Dream” is fast becoming unattainable. However if we think that housing is in short supply now, what will the situation be when the population grows to the projected 35 million instead of the 22 million we have now? Take Queensland for example. The southeast corner of Queensland is one of the fastest growing places in Australia, and more people means a need for more housing. But where should all these new houses go?
Reporter Caitlin Sawrey went along to a population and growth summit held recently in Brisbane, and spoke to a number of experts, including Professor Martin Bell, Director of the Centre for Population Research at the University of Queensland, and Professor Brendan Gleeson, Director of the urban research program at Griffith University.
Find out more about about the Summit here
This item was originally broadcast on Triple J’s Hack program
Putsch exhibition rails against stereotypes
A new exhibition of aboriginal art is currently showing at Tandanya – The National Aboriginal Cultural Institute in Adelaide, South Australia. But if you’re conjuring up images of bark or dot paintings, think again, because this exhibition by a Brisbane-based collective called proppaNOW challenges the audience to think differently about society’s notion of what ‘Aboriginal’ art is. The exhibition is call Putsch – a word which means to rise up against or overthrow a government, and Brett Williamson speaks to curator Liz Nowell.
More informatiion and photos of the exhibition can be found at ABC Adelaide and the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
Music (not in podcast)
Melbourne soul-funk outfit The Bamboos have just released their brand new album entitled 4. This track, Turn it Up, features Japanese-American rapper Lyrics Born. You can listen to it here on You Tube
Artist: the Bamboos
Track: Turn it Up
Album: 4 (2010)
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