A whirling eddy is whipping leaves into a spiralling frenzy as Broadsheet approaches the matte-black building bearing nothing but a MYTH banner. We’re met by one of the organisation’s “founders” – though he dissuades us from using that word – and conducted inside. It’s all a bit mysterious.
We first caught wind of MYTH while looking into soon-to-open restaurant Bai Long Store. MYTH is behind the venue’s concept and graphic design. One call put us in touch with its instigator – who asked not to be named – and the conversation took a turn.
“What can you tell us about Bai Long?”
“It’s exciting. But there’s something else, something I’ve been working on, that’s going to really shake things up.”
“Ok, sounds cool. Tell us about that.”
“I can’t.”
An invitation to visit the MYTH digs followed, leading us to the corner of Hutt and Wakefield Streets on a blustery summer afternoon. It was time for answers.
MYTH discovered the premises during a site visit at Bai Long Store. One look inside and the team was itching to put pen-to-lease. “We were blown away by its specific infrastructure and removed location within the CBD,” our MYTH member tells us.
Previously a recording and DVD-pressing business, the interior is a maze of double-glazed windows and poky, angular offices. These will be repurposed as a music-and-sometimes-yoga-studio, a bar (licence permitting) and a base for ongoing operations.
So, MYTH is a multipurpose space-for-hire? Well, only sort of.
When pressed for what exactly will be going on within the compound-like black walls, only hints were dropped. “[We] plan to action experiences that promote a cultural shift in the way this city currently views the arts,” our MYTH member says.
So, MYTH is an events company? No, not entirely.
MYTH worked with Studio-Gram while developing the graphic identity for Bai Long Store, which is immediately to our left. It also contributed creative direction and label design for new Adelaide gin brand Lyrebird Gin.
So, MYTH is a design agency? Not quite.
MYTH has two principals, but not in any traditional sense. Its members describe their team as “Equal and driven”, which is to say they don’t adhere to a traditional hierarchy.
MYTH is anonymous. The brand supersedes the personal identities of those involved and acts as a super-identity, capable of contributing to local culture in a way others aren’t, our host tells us. “I deleted my social media. My [previous] brand is finished. I don’t exist anymore.” Strange words from someone standing not two feet away. But in a business sense, it’s true.
So what makes a young creative with a few notable jobs to his name decide to just fade away? MYTH is a revolt against name-dropping culture and “celebrity”, he tells us. It is inspired by the expressive energy crackling through cities such as Berlin and New York. “The experiences we’ve collectively shared amongst the international arts scene have driven our conceptualisations for MYTH.”
So it’s a collective? Yes, sort of.
“MYTH is forward-thinking individuals looking to shift Adelaide into a more aware headspace.”
Broadsheet will be following MYTH with interest over the coming months. A media launch is promised for March next year. In a small town like Adelaide, with a close-knit arts scene, it’s only a matter of time before those associated with MYTH are revealed. But in the meantime, MYTH remains, well, mythical.
