Manifest Destiny ~ Adelaide Festival 2026 ~ Visual Arts Review | The Clothesline

[Visual Arts, World Premiere]

Manifest Destiny
Alex Frayne and Donnie Sloan
ILA/Immersive Light And Art
Sat Feb 28, 2026

Adelaide photographer, artist, and filmmaker Alex Frayne’s ambitious project isn’t just an exhibition of his photographs taken during a series of visits to the US of A: it’s a genuinely immersive study of an alternately gorgeous and decaying America in endless crisis.

With an entrance at the ILA made to look like a gaudy hotel (and staff amusingly putting on Yank accents), we then move to a space where a series of photos of varying sizes depict American sights that the locals might not always want you to see. ‘Push Ups, Go!’ shows a brightly-coloured and surely tourist-friendly vista of LA’s Venice Beach, but the sun-drenched look is deliberately stark, while ‘School’s Out, Forever!’ depicts an empty and rundown Texan school with a dark past.

Diptychs and other images demonstrate Alex’s typical love for classic movies: several references to just about his favourite pic, Dirty Harry, crop up, while there are also mentions of Terrence Malick’s Days Of Heaven and even When Harry Met Sally…. And a spooky shot of a scarecrow might have even crept in from the far tawdrier Jeepers Creepers series.

However, the real jewel in the crown here is in the LED Room, with huge, half-rounded screens on opposing walls showing a documentary (over and over) made by Alex, and featuring him discussing his experiences in the States. Photos swirl of stars on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame; Broadway in LA at twilight has a Tarantino look; an unconscious (hopefully) person lies in the aisle of a giant supermarket; and, shockingly, a Klansman proudly poses in full robes.

Created and directed by Melissa Lee, and with music by local Empire Of The Sun hitmaker Donnie Sloan and sound design by Gary Sinclair, this is truly as immersive as claimed, and it’s the key reason to visit the ILA to see Alex’s latest production. Seats and couches allow you to sit and take it all in, on all the screens, for as long as necessary, and to understand that this is America, as the song says.

Spectacular and startling – and heartless and disturbing.

4 stars

Dave Bradley

Manifest Destiny continues at ILA/Immersive Light and Art until Sun Mar 15. Get tickets HERE.

#TheClothesline

[Visual Arts, World Premiere] Manifest Destiny Alex Frayne and Donnie Sloan ILA/Immersive Light And Art Sat Feb 28, 2026 Adelaide photographer, artist, and filmmaker Alex Frayne’s ambitious project isn’t just an exhibition of his photographs taken during a series of visits to the US of A: it’s a genuinely immersive study of an alternately gorgeous and decaying America in endless crisis. With an entrance at the ILA made to look like a gaudy hotel (and staff amusingly putting on Yank accents), we then move to a space where a series of photos of varying sizes depict American sights that the locals might not always want you to see. ‘Push Ups, Go!’ shows a brightly-coloured and surely tourist-friendly vista of LA’s Venice Beach, but the sun-drenched look is deliberately stark, while ‘School’s Out, Forever!’ depicts an empty and rundown Texan school with a dark past. Diptychs and other images demonstrate Alex’s typical love for classic movies: several references to just about his favourite pic, Dirty Harry, crop up, while there are also mentions of Terrence Malick’s Days Of Heaven and even When Harry Met Sally…. And a spooky shot of a scarecrow might have even crept in from the far tawdrier Jeepers Creepers series. However, the real jewel in the crown here is in the LED Room, with huge, half-rounded screens on opposing walls showing a documentary (over and over) made by Alex, and featuring him discussing his experiences in the States. Photos swirl of stars on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame; Broadway in LA at twilight has a Tarantino look; an unconscious (hopefully) person lies in the aisle of a giant supermarket; and, shockingly, a Klansman proudly poses in full robes. Created and directed by Melissa Lee, and with music by local Empire Of The Sun hitmaker Donnie Sloan and sound design by Gary Sinclair, this is truly as immersive as claimed, and it’s the key reason to visit the ILA to see Alex’s latest production. Seats and couches allow you to sit and take it all in, on all the screens, for as long as necessary, and to understand that this is America, as the song says. Spectacular and startling - and heartless and disturbing. 4 stars Dave Bradley Manifest Destiny continues at ILA/Immersive Light and Art until Sun Mar 15. Get tickets HERE. #TheClothesline

The Clothesline Rating

Dave Bradley

Spectacular and startling - and heartless and disturbing. An immersive study of an alternately gorgeous and decaying America in endless crisis.

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