Antipodean Palette exhibition celebrates Greek-Australian artistic voices in Melbourne

A performance titled "Haribo Kimchi" was presented at the Athens Festival on June 16 and 17, 2026. Created by artist Jaha Ku, the piece combines elements of storytelling, music, video, and gastronomy. It explores themes of migration, identity, and cultural displacement through personal narratives woven into a blend of Korean and European cultural references. The production includes contributions from various collaborators such as dramaturge Dries Duimbe, set designer Youngjong Jong, and technical coordinator Cornel Kousen. The performance featured actors Gona, Haribo, Eel, Jaha Ku, and two guest performers.

The setting of the performance resembled a typical South Korean cafeteria, serving food and drinks with a quality that suggested a more upscale dining experience. This environment allowed Jaha Ku to guide the audience through a culinary journey that mirrored his own experiences as a migrant. He invited two audience members to join him onstage, offering them traditional Korean meals in exchange for their attentive listening. However, during the performance, he became so engrossed in his narrative that he forgot about the volunteers who were seated uncomfortably low on the stage floor, amidst the frying sounds, which he believed added a positive atmosphere to the performance.

Jaha Ku, who handles all aspects of the production himself—writing, directing, composing music, and creating videos—has described this performance as presenting "personal stories marinated in sweet-sour melancholy." He likened his experience of migrating to Europe to a "Haribo kimchi," a metaphor combining the Korean dish kimchi with the familiar German candy, symbolizing the blending of cultures and the complexities of adaptation. His monologues were interspersed with beautiful videos and music inspired by K-pop, a genre known for its global appeal among youth. These visuals and melodies softened the more distressing parts of his narrative, where he recounted encounters with xenophobic attitudes and minor mishaps involving kimchi.

Initially, the audience listened sympathetically and with interest, drawn in by the engaging storytelling and subtle suspenseful moments within Jaha Ku's speech. However, as the performance progressed, viewers began to sense a deeper layer of critique beneath the surface. They noticed that the mask of thoughtful humility concealed a certain audacity. The performer did not hesitate to challenge common ethical and sentimental clichés, expressing his thoughts with ease and sweetness, unafraid of confronting the audience directly. His cooking, much like his storytelling, seemed to lay bare past, present, and future, revealing only what needed to be seen.

In a separate but related development, the Antipodean Palette group art exhibition is scheduled to take place from July 3 to 12, celebrating the artistic voices of the Greek-Australian community in Melbourne. Now in its 16th year, the exhibition has grown into a significant event on the Greek-Australian Cultural League’s calendar, offering a platform for artists to showcase works influenced by their cultural heritage and personal experiences. This year’s exhibition features over 50 pieces across various mediums, including painting, printmaking, lithography, photography, and mixed media. Themes such as Greek mythology, Byzantine iconography, migration, memory, and place are prevalent throughout the collection, with each artist interpreting these themes uniquely. Returning artists include painters Bill Potiris and Basil Psanoudakis, photographer and visual artist Michael Christofas, and visual artist Leah Modouris. Emerging talents such as Stella Sorotou, Nicky Skouris, Katerina Konstantinidis, Christina Pallikaris, Andrea Patsouris, and Marina Theophilou will also be featured. The exhibition aims to provide a contemporary overview of Greek-Australian art, highlighting the community's diverse cultural influences and creative expressions. The event will be held at the Malvern Artists' Society Gallery, located at 1297-99 High Street, Malvern, with opening hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.