SORCHA MACKENZIE BRINGS A TOUCH OF FESTIVE TO THE STANDARDX

The holiday season conjures images of snow-dusted trees, cozy fireplaces, and frosty windows. But for Melbourne-born artist Sorcha Mackenzie, Christmas means the heat of summer, river visits, and the vibrant, untamed beauty of Australian flora. Collaborating with The StandardX, Mackenzie’s brought her unique take on the festive season to our window in the heart of Fitzroy—an enchanted Christmas garden that celebrates Australia’s distinctive connection to land, community, and creativity.

We sat down with Mackenzie to explore the inspiration behind the installation and so much more.

What was the inspiration behind this particular take on Christmas?

Australian Christmas has always been non-traditional in the sense of the quintessential snow-dusted symbology surrounding the festive season. Whenever I think of Christmas, I think of the heat of summer and spending time in nature with my Mum and Nana. Working with The StandardX, I had the opportunity to create an enchanted Christmas garden of native Australian flora to attempt to highlight and celebrate the distinctive character of an Australian Christmas, embracing its connection to the land and the season.

What’s your favourite memory of Christmas growing up?

Visiting the Murrindindi River with my Mum and Nana.

The installation is on display in the heart of Fitzroy. How does the local culture influence your art?

The work is both inspired by and a tribute to the rich artistic legacy of the Fitzroy community; a hub of creativity and self-expression, from iconic commissioned murals to the spontaneous drawings that enliven the walls of its bars and music venues. I wanted to create something to match Fitzroy’s buzzy and playful artistic energy.

If the installation had a soundtrack, what song would be on it?

How to Make Gravy – Paul Kelly.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?

When I’m not making art, I’m making furniture and doing fabrication work with my company Full Form Studios. But if I were to divert to anything, I’d try something equally creative and possibly more difficult: Pastry Chef.

What’s a guilty pleasure that fuels your creativity—be it music, snacks, or something totally random?

Playing video games. I love fantasy—whether it’s literature, film, or games. When I have downtime, I’m playing Dark Souls or, more recently, Baldur’s Gate 3. The escapism into these expansive worlds and environments, where you are immersed within them rather than focusing on building or designing physical aspects of a space, provides a refreshing change of pace and allows me to come back to my own creative practice feeling reinvigorated.

What message or feeling do you hope people take away when they walk past the windows?

Christmas is a period of time associated with joy and encourages people to reconvene in celebration. However, it can also be a time where people feel isolated when they don’t have a community to connect with. So for me, the enchanted Christmas garden of native plants intends to create an environment of warmth and playfulness that others can connect to and offer a celebration of the season in a way that feels true to our environment.

Any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye on?

In February, I’m exhibiting my work from my 2022 Fellowship with the State Library at Print Council Australia, including etchings from my artist book detailing the architectural history of the Princess Theatre through the lens of its resident ghost, Frederick Federici.