MONGO is slang for garbage salvaged from streets and trash heaps. Any rubbish can qualify, whether it’s edible, wearable, useful or indescribable. By definition, somebody must have thought it was worthless.

SMOCK Bureau presents their third exhibition, The Art of Mongo, a collaborative exhibition led by Francois Knoetze, an artist from Cape Town, South Africa.

Knoetze is working alongside 22 local artists in two intensive workshops this Saturday to create a series of costumes from recycled materials sourced from the garbage bins of Adelaide.

Amongst the mongo creatures a 3-metre-tall silver water bladder cloak, an enormous golden angler fish, and a full suit of dvd disk armour.

Artists involved include Francois Knoetze, Bob Daly, Chelsea Farquhar, Lee Gurling, Michelle Jahn, Heidi Kenyon, Mieke Kriegesvelt, Jane Macilwain, Nikki Manning, Kaspar Schmidt Mumm, Emma O’Neil, Rosina Possingham, Kelly Reynolds, Cinzia Schincariol, Cynthia Schwertsik, Matt Shilcock, Jane Skeer, Kathryn Sproul, Henry Jock Walker, Laura Wills, Trevor Wren, Greta Wyatt and Emmaline Zanelli.

This project is supported by OSCA, Sunny’s Pizza, Alpha Box & Dice, Arts SA, the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and the City of Adelaide.