Words: Lara Pacillo // Main photo: Paul Gallasch. Thomas Moran and Lily Potger at MUD Home in the Hyperreal
“Mud is a homage to the infinite malleability of life, and kind of its improvisation and experimentation,” says Kosta Stefanou.
“It’s this thing that absorbs your imprint, you know? It’s playful, but it’s also part of clay work and forming the sort of bowls and containers that are the cauldrons of life.
“Mudstone is simultaneously the oldest and the youngest rock; it’s this elusive material that things come out of and go back to.”
We’re talking to Kosta about the squelchy matter of mixed earth and water — the stuff that comes after heavy rain, that gumboots sink in, and that Kosta’s arts initiative co-created with Mungo Fagan is named after.
Through regular sessions that run on the last Thursday of every month, MUD creates a space for local artists to experiment and further their practice in a safe space. It offers an outlet where creators can break against the common ideas of how arts should be performed, especially in a monetary way.
“A goal of mine is essentially to break down these cultural definitions based on selling and commodifying something, and engaging in that algorithm,” emerging ecologist Kosta says.
“We are offering a space in which commodifying forces are not as prominent, and all of the flow-on cultural effects of those forces are not as common — where we can reward and validate unique approaches that artists have to their craft.”
The next MUD event will take place on Thursday February 23 at Ancient World. The Hindley Street bar is a regular home for MUD, where Kosta says is because of its intimacy, inclusivity, and openness.
The session is curated by composer, bass player, modular synthesiser Ross McHenry, joined by saxophonist king and “uncle” to many improvising Adelaide artists, Derek Pascoe. Guitarist Django Rowe and vocalist Lauren Henderson will also perform on the night.
Artists are selected based on inclusion and showcasing local talent, with the hope to encourage artists to stay in Adelaide.
“We focus on having gender balance and non-binary representation, with range from emerging, mid-career, and established artists, as well as having like a good balance of intergenerational artists,” Kosta says.
“We want to reveal already what is so much local talent and unique playfulness that often goes overlooked, and support their growth.
“Hopefully, as a by-product of that, we can give people more of a reason to stay in Adelaide and see themselves being able to progress creatively here, rather than have to migrate to Melbourne, Sydney, or overseas.”
Through whatever performance discipline MUD showcases — whether it’s dance, music, sound projection, poetry, or film — there’s a certain structure to the sessions.
Sharing food is a big part of the process, and it’s what usually starts off the event. Meals are $5, and cooked by Kat Keane who improvises with different dishes, often using produce she has foraged herself. While a major reason for the food element is to offer a cheap meal to attendees from all walks of life, it’s also about having a level playing field.
“Food is a massive aspect of community, communalism, and communing,” Kosta says.
“Everything at MUD happens on the ground. We don’t do things on a stage so there’s no hierarchy, and the food offering encourages that utilitarian aspect.”
After the meal, Kosta initiates and facilitates conversation with artists, getting down to the gritty stuff of “Why this? Why now? Why here?” about aspects of their practice. Then comes the action, where artists perform in sets.
MUD came together in March 2021 after Kosta moved from Melbourne to Adelaide. He met now 25-year-old Mungo, where the two shared a common passion for cultural and ecological restoration.
“The underpinning philosophy that brought Mungo and I together was around the way disciplines of arts and land practice are intertwined and this feeling of ‘how can we make space in which experimentation can happen?’” Kosta says.
“There’s a focus on cultural restoration, with the aim of ecological restoration being an outcome from supporting the arts as well.”
Over the past two years, Kosta and Mungo have continued to push this concept while platforming a wide range of local artists. They welcome all to be involved in any capacity, whether it’s to perform, attend a session, or contribute to MUD’s digital zine.
“We want people to be able to talk about art, to talk about their hearts, and to talk about the working class,” Kosta says.
“We hope to bring a feeling of connecting to one another, and for people to get out of it whatever they need.”
MUD // Thursday February 23 session: Ancient World, 116a Hindley St, Adelaide 5000
