Andrew Belletty

I’m sure no one in Darwin is asleep tonight

2024 Mixed media installation, single channel video, six-channel audio, corrugated iron 11 min 13 sec

Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin, Australia 17th October to 16th November 2024

A mesmerising sensory experience awaits as you enter the darkened gallery illuminated with golden light which invokes Hiranyagarbha, a Sanskrit term for the source of creation. The air vibrates with the hypnotic drone of tanpuras, their ethereal tones emanating from every corner. At the heart of this sonic sanctuary, a twisted sheet of corrugated iron hangs suspended, its surface transformed by a lustrous golden foil wrapping. The centrepiece commands attention with its gleaming metallic form, reflecting a striking white video image. Here, a miniature feather ball appears to dance, its delicate movements animated by an invisible breath. Light plays across the golden surface, casting shimmering reflections that dance along the walls, creating an ever-shifting visual landscape. As you approach the suspended sculpture, a new layer of sound reveals itself. The iron sheet resonates with a deep, slow chant, its vibrations causing the sheet’s edge nails to rattle in a delicate percussive dance. This low-frequency composition melds seamlessly with the tanpura drones, enveloping visitors in a tactile sound bath that penetrates to the very core. The installation blends visual and auditory elements, creating a meditative, healing space of entangled audio visual energies. The golden reflections mirror the harmonious tones, while the animated feather echoes the subtle vibrations of the chant. This captivating artwork invites you into a multi-sensory journey, offering a space for deep reflection on the dual nature of air. It explores air’s immense power, capable of unleashing formidable destruction, and creating new life through subtle breath.

Supported by Creative Australia

The birds are lucky, they are unharmed, 2024

Mixed media installation, single channel video, five-channel audio, bathroom mirrors, louvre window

8 min 43 sec

Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin, Australia
17th October to 16th November 2024

As you enter the gallery, you’re immediately enveloped by a haunting soundscape that transports you to the sacred banks of the Ganges in Varanasi. On the wall, a mirrored bathroom cabinet catches your eye. As you approach, you realise it’s not a mirror at all, but a video screen offering a window into a deeply personal moment. The dimly lit bathroom, illuminated only by a solitary candle, becomes a poignant metaphor for life’s fragility. In the flickering candlelight, a figure comes into focus – a man hunched over on the toilet, his trembling hand furiously scribbling on a writing pad. The scene is charged with emotion, as you realise you’re witnessing a father’s final moments of communication with his loved ones In the scene, the bathtub, filled with still water, reflects the candlelight, creating a sense of timelessness. This ordinary bathroom has been transformed into a liminal space, suspended between life and death, mirroring the belief that Varanasi is where one can escape the cycle of rebirth. The artist’s voice, now aged sixty, reads aloud the words written by his father decades ago. This auditory element bridges the gap between past and present, creating a powerful dialogue between generations. The trembling voice echoes the vulnerability of the figure in the video, adding layers of emotion to the installation. This artwork blends visual, auditory, and emotional elements to explore themes of mortality, family, and the sacred. It invites viewers to contemplate their own relationships with life, death, and memory.

Supported by Creative Australia

Dizzy seems to know that things are not good,

2024 Mixed media installation, seven-channel audio, Christmas tree, presents, mirror ball 9min 21 sec

Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin, Australia 17th October to 16th November 2024

Suspended in a dimly lit room, the installation captivates the senses, inviting viewers into a realm where nostalgia and wonder intertwine. Seven objects each meticulously wrapped in lustrous gold foil, dangle from the ceiling like a kinetic mobile slowly spinning around the room above our heads, their familiar shapes evoking memories of gifts never received. As your eyes adjust to the soft ambiance, you discern the unmistakable outlines: a child’s bicycle promising adventure, a tennis racket holding the potential for spirited matches, a basketball embodying dreams of athletic prowess, a large cubic box concealing untold mysteries, an electric guitar resonating with rock star aspirations, a doll waiting to become a cherished companion, and a shoebox perhaps hiding a pair of coveted footwear. At the heart of this golden constellation, an inverted Christmas tree rotates slowly, defying gravity and conventional festive norms. The entire ensemble pirouettes gracefully, casting a spell of childlike wonder upon all who witness it. A solitary beam of bright white light kisses the installation, igniting a warm, golden glow that dances across the room as the objects turn in their celestial ballet. Approaching closer, you’re enveloped by a soft sonic tapestry. Each golden present whispers its own story – voices recounting events that have lingered in memory for fifty years. These ethereal narratives blend with the gentle tinkling of Brahms’ lullaby emanating from the central Christmas tree, its music box rendition adding a touch of sweet melancholy to the atmosphere. This immersive artwork invites viewers to reflect on an event which resists the passage of time, revealing the persistence of memory, and the enduring magic of childhood dreams.

Supported by Creative Australia

Exhibited at Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin 16 Oct – 17 Nov 2024

Duration 11.50 Release September 2024

Produced by Andrew Belletty

The Knockem Down Sound System documentary film follows a group of Darwin musicians, DJ’s and Sound technicians as they build a sound system. Knock ’em Down Sound System is series of music workshops and concerts designed to inspire people to get on stage to play or create music, motivated by the challenges faced by producer Andrew Belletty as an 18-year-old trying to play original music in Darwin.

A great privilege to be nominated for Best Sound in KINDRED, a beautifully made feature documentary. Highly detailed and evocative sound design for films like this is only possible with the support for the producers and directors, so a huge thanks to Adrian Russell Wills, Gillian Moody and Tom Zubrycki.

Just finished the sound design and 5.1 mix for the film DREAMLINK. It was great being a mentor for the program by Mountain of Youth, and I was blown away by how engaged and articulate the high school crew were. A real privilege to be a part of this and a to produce such a terrific film.

Listen to all four one-hour episodes here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amplify-story-resistance-radio/id1704273057

SWAMP JOCKEYS DEMO TAPES 54 MIN

Host Andrew Belletty in conversation with Singer and front man for Darwin band The Swamp Jockeys Todd Williams  talk about being outsiders of the music scene. They present a selection of songs from demo tapes as they look back at the activation of spaces and people that were their trademark in the Northern territory in the eighties.

Songs include:

1. Flaming Speargrass
2. Min Min
3. Knock Em Downs
4. Sippin White coffee
5. The Fall
6. Northern Territory
7. Strychnine
8. Humpty Doo
9. Land Below
10. Cast Iron Motive

TODD WILLIAMS INTERVIEW 52 MIN

Host Andrew Belletty in conversation artist, musician and activist Todd Williams  talksabout his current work with VampTV in Darwin and his history with Band The Swamp Jockeys. VampTV  is a magazine style video program featuring inspiring music clips, artist profiles, student videos and school programs. He talks about his works across NT Remote Schools, to give students a voice, and celebrate Indigenous culture through the arts.

COLIN SIMPSON INTERVIEW 60 MIN

Host Andrew Belletty in conversation sound technician, mixer, repairer, and musician Colin Simpson and talksabout his ongoing work with Darwin’s arts and original music scene since the early eighties. Colin recounts stories of learning how to maintain and operate musical instruments and Sound System equipment in an environment where the climate becomes a part of the crew.

CHARLY TEMPLAR INTERVIEW 59 MIN

Host Andrew Belletty in conversation with Charly Templar, French Cameroonian born, Australian Based professional DJ, teacher and youth mentor rooted to the humanitarian purpose of assisting & empowering the under-privileged people. Charly talks about his community work in the Northern territory including disengaged youth in Darwin, Palmerston, The Don Dale Youth Detention Centre and remote Indigenous communities. https://www.dreamimpactinspire.com/

Andrew Belletty Profile

Dr Andrew Belletty is an Indian-born Australian sound artist and researcher, working with noise, country, and culture. His work creates intimate, tactile, site responsive listening experiences which redesign acoustic energies as flexible, experiential forms.

Andrew is a founding member of Indigenous band Yothu Yindi, with a thirty year research and professional practice in fine arts and media.

Andrew’s current research includes bioethical listening within actual and virtual environments, which draws upon Indigenous Indian knowledges and practices to connect people with place.

Currently a Post-Doctoral Research Associate with the Design lab at the University of Sydney, his research project Knock-em-down Sound System is a case study which investigates how Darwin’s unique culture, climate and intergenerational knowledge can inform sound system technology, design and performance to promote social and economic progress.

Andrew holds a PhD in Visual Anthropology, Art, Design & Media from the National Institute for Experimental Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia and is a former Head of Sound at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

·         

Kakadu’s Aboriginal owners recognise a season in April after the wet and before the dry called Banggerreng or Knock em Down Storm Season. Plants are fruiting and animals are caring for their young when the knock em down winds arrive and flatten the spear grass. As the knock em downs retreat, the dragonflies appear, signalling the beginning of the dry season.


Knock-em-down Sound System explores how Darwin’s unique climate and culture and has shaped community music through a series of public workshops teaching DIY Speaker Building and DJ Tools and Techniques, live performances, interviews, and a VR experience with an innovative vibrotactile floor to enhance immersion and create a shared virtual environment.

First steps in October 2023 involve consultation with the Darwin Sound System community, the Darwin City Council, Bagot Community, creative and technical collaborators to inform the design of the public workshops culminating in an open access performance.

Subsequent activities in April/May involve performances and interviews with contemporary, emerging, and elder musicians, technicians, DJ’s and sound system operators will be filmed to produce a documentary hosted on the SST website https://sonic-street-technologies.com/

Knock-em-down Sound System is funded by the European Research Council through Goldsmiths University, London, and the University of Sydney

Tentative schedule

·          October 12-20^th I will consult with the community stakeholders, the Darwin City Council, Bagot Community, creative and technical collaborators to inform the design of the public workshops.

·          April 5-15^th 2024 the team will deliver the workshops and performances across the two weekends.

Meet the team.

 Dr Andrew Belletty is a researcher, sound designer and artist who grew up in Darwin and as a founding member of both The Swamp Jockeys and Yothu Yindi shares a long history with the Darwin music and arts community. As project lead for the Knock-em-down Sound System,  Belletty aims to activate community by designing maker spaces and sound system events which are responsive to Darwin’s unique people, climate and environment.

·          Charly Templar, DJ and workshop facilitator.

·          Speargrass Hi-Fi , Ward, and Clarence’s Jamaican inspired Sound System.

·          Colin Simpson, musician, and sound engineer.

·          Stuart Kellaway, Yothu Yindi founding member,King Stingray Manager.

·          James Mangohig, Musician and Producer.

·          Todd Williams, Artist, Musician, Producer and Director

Community support

·          Charles Darwin University

·           Bagot Community

·           Happy Yess