Inside Byron Bay’s surprising interactive art experience

THE newly revamped interactive art gallery HAVEN has been wowing locals and visitors alike over the summer holidays, offering immersive experiences ranging from a 360-degree film to a room that takes visitors to another planet.

Formerly known as OTHERWORLD, the space features 19 exhibitions by local and international multidisciplinary artists, designed to encourage people of all ages to play, explore and engage. Installations include a sound-making cloud room and an interactive experience featuring Indigenous artwork.

The exhibition Mars, by local artist Oliver Buckworth, was constructed almost entirely from recycled and upcycled materials to create an otherworldly landscape.

At the heart of the gallery, housed in the former Woolworths building, sits a large dome screening a 45-minute 360-degree film experience titled Carriberrie. The film features Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers performing across diverse Australian landscapes.

The exterior of the dome is illuminated by a light show inspired by the movement of sea anemones

Curator Mimi Stein said HAVEN provides a rare community space where adults and children can come together to be curious and creative.

“I love galleries, but some can make me feel like I don’t even know how to move my elbow within the bright light room,” she said. “At HAVEN you can move freely through the gallery without polish or glare, like a night walk for glow worms.”

Stein had recently returned to Australia from Berlin, where she had been working with artist Fee-Gloria Groenemeyer, when the opportunity to work at HAVEN arose.

She said she has loved collaborating with artists including Amarina Toby, Chris Daly and Elodie Gervaise, bringing together people from diverse creative fields.

“HAVEN formed a temporary ecosystem in weeks with a subculture quietly emerging as people started to come in on their own,” she said.

Stein hopes the gallery will continue to evolve, with installations regularly changing and a program of workshops and events including children’s dance sessions, life drawing, poetry nights, film festivals, and coding and sound workshops for adults.

“We want to invite people to become part of this creative community centre,” she said. “I look forward to inviting more artists to pop by HAVEN to join the intersectional space.”