Hidden in plain sight behind Arts Centre Melbourne, Testing Grounds is the portal to the immersive art installation Sanctuary. Created by Jonathan Homsey, Sanctuary is a performance diptych exploring love and life in the digital age. It includes a film of the same title exhibited from the 12th-17th of March 2016. On opening night there will be a performance at dusk.

The one-time performance at sunset explores in collaboration with performers the human psyche and its infatuation to find connection. In a world saturated with accessibility, how does one find peace and solace? Sanctuary examines our connection to our physical world saturated with digital technology. With a cast of karate masters, energy healers, yoga practitioners and dancers, this performance explores the beauty of the act of mindfulness.

Accompanying this performance is the film made in collaboration with Luke Mercado, Lilah Gow and Samantha Bruzzese of the same title. Inspired by celebrity suicides and childhood forts, the shipping container at Testing Grounds transports the viewer into another realm. Sanctuary blurs the line between the childhood fantasy and the harsh realities of life, loss and loneliness.

Sanctuary: Timelapse Documentation from Jonathan Homsey on Vimeo.

Sanctuary: Film Component from Jonathan Homsey on Vimeo.

Article on the Impetus of Sanctuary