A night of interactive art, cocktails, and taxidermied winged puppies — Hendrick’s Gin’s Seduction of Sanity was an evening to remember.
photo courtesy Hendrick’s Gin
The event description was intriguing. What were we in for?
Hendrick’s mysterious Seduction of Sanity event promises to offer you a peep into a most unusual world that will test and tease the limits of people’s imagination.
You are invited into a gallery of experiences, where you will encounter interactive ‘touch and feel’ boxes and peep walls made up of surreal images, which may shock, amuse and intrigue. Through a series of unusual spaces, you will be able to explore themes of voyeurism and surrealism in a way that has never been seen before.
The one-day-only pop-up event was held at Two Ton Max, an events space/warehouse in the middle of an industrial area near Macaulay Station in North Melbourne.
photo courtesy Hendrick’s Gin
Walking in, my friends and I were given drink tickets and an explanation of how the evening would go down: At our allotted time, we could enter four different rooms to experience what was inside each. Before and after, we were free to mingle, get fancy drinks from the gorgeous bartenders, and have a snack or two.
The setup was oh-so-classy — with a twist of weirdness. One of the first things I saw in the beautifully-decorated main room was the glass displays under which taxidermied puppies were laying, with wings sewn on their backs. Truly macabre and slightly disturbing. That seemed to be one of the elements of the evening.
photo courtesy Hendrick’s Gin
Cocktails in hand, we prepared to be seduced by sanity. Room one was a hodge-podge of old shelves and drawers, which we could pull out and fiddle with. Okay, is that all? But the ante was upped with room two. Half a dozen birdhouses were displayed on all levels, with hand-sized holes beckoning you to explore the darkness within. It was fun — and creepy — to put your hand inside, not knowing what strange sensation you’d feel. My (least) favourite were the spiderwebs. Blech!
photo courtesy Hendrick’s Gin
Room three was a short, highly bizarre film — but the highlight was in room four, with a dancefloor linked to lightbulbs. Ruki posed for multiple photos (perhaps for his next profile pic?), and we all had a little boogie.
photo courtesy Hendrick’s Gin
One of the best parts of the night was running into so many friends. From Andrzej of The Grey Eye Society to pals who live down the street, it seemed like everyone I knew was in the know. That’s one of the reasons I love Melbourne — cool experiences like this are cherished.
photo courtesy Hendrick’s Gin
If you want to attend the next amazing Hendrick’s Gin pop-up event, like the Cucumber & Rose Society Facebook page. Here’s hoping they’ll come back to Melbourne soon with something just as fun.
-Theresa
