Kate Kendall of Autumn:01 goes in search of the phenomenon that is the Secret Wars!

Calling it an Autumn:01 ‘outing’, the design team hit the wet streets of Sydney and entered a room that couldn’t be more jam packed if it tried. Although a small space, the Name This Bar on Oxford Street was the perfect setting for an event which was set up to turn live art into a recognised sport. A global initiative, you’ll find these battles being set up in the most unlikely corners of cities all over the world, its reputation spread mainly by word of mouth.

This particular round saw artists, Jon Doe and Creon, battle it out on a blank wall within the bar, divided by an invisible line. Each artist had considerably different styles but both were as incredible as each other. During the ‘battle’ artists are encouraged to have fun within their designated 90 minutes, and playing off one another helps make the battle interesting and often funny to watch.

In terms of live entertainment, you can’t beat it. Pre-battle entertainment was provided by MC Anzac and Micky Morphingaz after which – shoulder to shoulder – the crowd was amped as people huddled around drinking and chatting about the two stories unfolding in front of them.

To decide the winning artist, two judges cast their vote as well as an audience decibel reader. In the end it was Jon Doe who took out the round, making it through to the Grand Final 2-1.

As a team, we relished in the creativity of the night and felt inspired to have access to an event like this. The next battle is on 1 July and puts artists, Houl and Max Berry in the creative hot spot for a chance to make it through to the finals. Check out the website for more details: www.secretwars.com.au. Photography courtesy of  Screaming Pear.