Gods' leap, Shades' glide, and rabbits' gnaw.

{Six tiny scenes from Jan Švankmajer’s Alice (1987).}

This week, in a spice-hued costume and veil, I have traversed an Orientalist landscape of Bengal tigers and slithering vipers, at the behest of the Dream God, Garuda. (The Australian Ballet’s 4th and 6th performance of Stanton Welch’s La Bayadère, with my response on Fjord Review to come soon.) I have glimpsed Paradise through a haze of Opium smoke, and seen the hypnotic descent of the Shades, and awoken to find myself in the cinema once more with a sawdust-spilling White Rabbit who could wield a pair of scissors with envious precision. Switching heads with a Hatter, I have experienced the discomfort of having a rat set up a camp fire atop my head in the Pool of Tears. (Jan Švankmajer’s Alice, Melbourne Cinémathèque, ACMI, to tie in with the Czech and Slovak Film Festival.) I have leafed through a library of artists’ books and zines at a closing event in the gallery. (George Paton Gallery: Artist’s Books (reprised), exhibition at the University of Melbourne, including five of our zines.) And, most important of all, I have discovered that my spirit animal is not always a combination of Slater and Waldorf and this is a very good thing.

+ You've just a handful of hours today to enjoy this brilliant offer: "It's our birthday week and to celebrate we've offered you a gift — a special $79 tickets* to see La Bayadère in Melbourne for the final performances this week. If you haven't already purchased a ticket, you only have until 5pm Friday to do so."