YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON AT ILA
Formerly known as Light ADL, ILA is Adelaide’s Centre of Immersive Light and Art, a complex that celebrates art, innovation and creation at venues like The Lab and The Light Room. ILA pushes the boundaries for what we should expect from Adelaide’s art scene, becoming a multi-genre hub for all things music, experimentation and immersive excitement.So, as we head into one of the most creatively fuelled times of the year, here's the incredible shows and programs you can find at ILA across the coming months. ANOMALOUS
Set somewhere between five minutes and five years in the future, Anomalous is the digital art and theatre production that describes itself as a ‘satire on the developing climate of artificial intelligence and the increasingly digital world we live in’. Timely, indeed. Brought to you by Richard Coburn and Justin Astbury, the non-linear, immersive experience unfolds on The Light Room’s 150sqm LED screens and invites audiences to embark on a ‘never boring journey’ where they must piece the story. There are only a couple of days left to catch Anomalous at The Light Room, with the piece showing until February 10. Tickets are $30. 
Photo by Nash Blight
MONDO PSYCHO
If you haven’t heard the intense talent of Carla Lippis’ album ‘MONDO PSYCHO’, take this as your sign to. It’s an explosive, compelling and frenetic listen from start to finish, described as an ‘avant-garden descent into rock ‘n’ roll purgatory’. Experience the power of ‘MONDO PSYCHO’ live at The Lab, where Carla will perform at the multi-genre hub alongside an ensemble of Adelaide’s finest musicians on February 2. This gig will be one of the most intimate performances of the album. Get in early to see special guest and Naarm-producer Brixx. Lighting and visuals by Joe F and Lewis Godwin. 
AN ILLUMINATED PALETTE
Running until February 8, An Illuminated Palette is the first exhibition to take shape at The Light Room Gallery, a series of paintings and sculptures that are interconnected via ‘shared investigation of light, tone and colour’. Curated by Hill Smith Art Advisory, the free event showcases the work of 16 local artists. Explore the works at the gallery between Wednesday and Saturday from midday. 
Picture by CAPITALWASTE
DEM MOB ‘DIP’ VIDEO LAUNCH
Award-winning APY Land hip-hop group DEM MOB are back with a brand new song called ‘DIP’, launching the anticipated video for the track at The Lab on February 9. Last year was huge for the collective, who played international festivals like Primavera Sound, and 2024 is shaping up to be just as big, with a North American tour in the works. Celebrate the undeniable funk and fun of this group and their unique voice at the ‘DIP’ launch, supported by Sonz of Serpent, Myles, Tunu Smith and DJ Mozzi. The ‘DIP’ video launch takes place on February 9. Find out more here.
QUEST MASTER
Sydney’s QUEST MASTER is making his Adelaide debut at The Lab on February 10, bringing his ‘fantasy synthesizer’ – a mix of dungeon synth, vapour wave and atmospheric metal. It’s truly a sound like no other, one that dips into the wildest of noises and imagination. QUEST MASTER has existed exclusively as a recording project for the past six years, this show marking one of the first times to see the enigmatic artist live. Supports for the evening include SKORPION KING, EYES MORE SKULL THAN EYES, NUMEN NOCTIS. QUEST MASTER plays on February 10. Details here.
Picture by @vinylandfiddle
ONE NIGHT ONLY
Every Friday during Fringe, The Lab will host unique live music and immersive art performances in their experimental 50m2 LED screen space. The details of the final lineup are still firmly under wraps, but if you’re anything like us and love going to gigs, these shows should be on your radar. Teased as a night of ‘award-winning artists, dynamic visuals and electric atmosphere’. These shows will run on February 16 & 23, March 1, 8 & 15. Find out more here.
Image by Ryan Cantwell
DM FOR ADDRESS
This is your chance to become immersed in South Australia’s enigmatic and eclectic underground scene. Every Saturday during Fringe, The Lab will transform into a space that fuses digital art with electronic sounds in a series of evenings that pay tribute to park and warehouse raves, hosted by some of Adelaide’s most exciting DJ collectives. These shows will run on February 17 & 24, March 2, 9 & 16. Find out more here.
SONGS OF MIDDLE EARTH
One for fans of the mystical worlds created by J.R.R. Tolkien, Songs of Middle Earth is a 60-minute magical journey with acclaimed harpist, singer and storyteller Emma Horwood. The Fringe show is set to the poetry featured in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogies, with dramatic readings, stunning Middle Earth visuals and impressive soprano singing. There are only two performances, so get in quick! See this show on February 18 and February 25. Details here.
Image by David Li
PAINTINGS & MUSEUM OF MODERNIA
Humour and creativity collide in this thought-provoking visual art show created by former comedian Sam Kissajkian. Running as part of Adelaide Fringe, the free exhibition that explores “the ineffable mental states” of Kissajkian. Since a five-month bipolar manic episode in 2021 saw him create 300 paintings, the comedian-turned-artist has turned his creative outlet into an award-winning practice that’s seen him exhibit across the world. Details here. Want to immerse yourself further in Kissajkian’s creativity? His second exhibition, Museum of Modernia, comes to life on incredible 270-degree LED screens of The Light Room Studio, which invites views to embark on a ‘first-of-its-kind’ art adventure. Tickets include a personal tour through the adjacent gallery by Kissajkian himself, too. Details here. 
Image by Chris Herzfeld
MOZZI X INKATJA: A NEW MOON
Award-winning Dre ‘MoZzi’ Ngatokorua is back at Adelaide Fringe with the second iteration of his acclaimed multimedia visual storytelling production: MoZzi x Inkatja: A New Moon. Between March 7 and 10, Inkatja’s journey from life as a young girl on a mission to becoming a community leader is coloured through music, traditional art projections, historical imagery and MoZzi’s unique narration at The Lab. Painting inspired by Adnyamathanha culture by Lavene ‘Inkatja’ will become floor to ceiling animations as audiences are invited to embark on a journey that uncovers knowledge about the Stolen Generation and life at Umeewarra Mission near Port Augusta.This show takes place between March 7 and March 10. Find out more here.
ADAM PAGE PRESENTS: STEREO
Seeing multi-award-winning muso Adam Page is a must this Adelaide Fringe. The looping legend is returning to The Lab for an ‘aurally lush, musically vibrant show’, performed live ‘in high fidelity stereo sound’. Colour, light and sound will swirl and swell in this mesmerising show designed to ‘transport you to a state of sonic bliss’. Adam Page might just be one of the most talented people to walk planet Earth – catch this show if you want to see why! Have kids? Read about the musos show designed for children here. Adam Page Presents: Stereo runs between February 22 and February 25. Find out more here.
RIO 40 °
“Be transported through a vortex to Rio de Janeiro,” is how this Adelaide Fringe show at The Lab markets itself. Curious? We are, too. Rio 40° is an audio-visual, contemporary movement performance that’s fused with ‘Brazilian zest’, passion and chaos. Authentic footage of Rio de Janeiro encompasses the LED-lit room, reflecting the complexity of life in Brazil as the performance of physical theatre and dance unfolds. Following a sell-out season in 2023, this isn’t a show to miss! Rio 40° takes place between March 1 and March 9. Find out more here.
KAIROS
Set inside The Light Room Studio, this installation, created by UK choreographer Russell Maliphant in collaboration with filmmakers Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones, immerses its audience in a virtual landscape of sculptural bodies, all moving to a score created by composer Mukul. Contemporary dance, popping and breaking are just some of the genres used in this movement conversation, each translating the flow and form of the piece of art. An all-encompassing, mind-boggling piece of art. Kairos shows on Wednesdays to Sundays between February 16 and March 17. Details here.
METAHUMAN
Artwork where you create the story will always pique our interest. METAHUMAN is the follow-on from Miles Dunne, Max Brading and Lily Potger’s SALA performance ‘In The Belly Of The Beast’, a sequel that allows audiences to control a ‘symbiotic human/machine hybrid’ in a bid to explore the ‘synergy between humanity and technology’. Immersive LED volume melds with symbiotic choreography to create a world where audiences can uncover ‘unique interactions that influence the show’. METAHUMAN shows between February 16 and March 16 on Fridays and Saturdays. Find out more here.
Find ILA at 63 Light Square, Adelaide. Find out more here.
Featured
