Brutalist Block Party – Opening Night: Brutal Pong With Chapter Music

Brutalist Block Party is a May-long program of talks, workshops, lunches, dinners, social situations and a weekly produce market – presented by Assemble Papers and Open House Melbourne.

A very brutal beginning. Take up a paddle in Brutal Pong, the latest tournament in Archipong’s world-famous ping-pong series – taking place upon a series of bespoke, concrete-set pong tables.* Be in it to win the coveted Golden Paddle: the ultimate reward for your grace, finesse, and top-spinning smashes at the net of fortune. Much-loved Melbourne (and Clifton Hill local) record label institution Chapter Music is in charge of sound curation for the evening, with DJ sets from label heads Ben O’Connor and Guy Blackman, and select artists from the Chapter roster.

Tonight also marks the unveiling of Practise Studio Practise’s spatial installation, Brutalist Bollards and Pillars of Contention, and The Brutalist Bar opens for the first time. The menu takes its cues from Brutalist architecture – cold, hard and stiff. Each drink bold in its display of integrity and grandeur. Cocktails that clinically evade ornamental garnishes, wines confidently paired back in their approach and beers that are proudly raw.

Brutalist Block Party is part of a broader Open House Melbourne program called ’What’s the beef with Brutalism?’ – a series of screenings, talks and tours that consider people’s beef with a Béton brut, explore the social significance of the style, and consider what is the new, new brutalism?

*Paul Rudolph would be proud.