Powerhouse Museum - Beautiful Freak in the Machine – Karen Walker

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Country Always

Country Always

Caring for Country

A Corner of the Empire

A Corner of the Empire

The Garden Palace

The Holding Pen

The Holding Pen

The Agricultural Hall

Regional Networks

Regional Networks

Across New South Wales

A Museum of Doing

A Museum of Doing

Technological Museum

Expanding Stories

Expanding Stories

Evolution of the Castle Hill site from botanical research station to Museum Discovery Centre

Transforming the Tramsheds

Transforming the Tramsheds

Powerhouse Stage 1 and the Harwood Building

A Symbol in Time

A Symbol in Time

Sydney Observatory

Ongoing Transformations

Ongoing Transformations

Powerhouse Ultimo

Karen Walker – My Top 10 Misfits

Karen Walker – My Top 10 Misfits

Beautiful Freak in the Machine

Applied Arts and Sciences

Applied Arts and Sciences

Defining the terms in the 21st century

Powerhouse Renewal

Powerhouse Renewal

A transformative renewal program across four sites

We Rise

We Rise

Blak Powerhouse

Powerhouse-1 Mission Launch to the ISS

Powerhouse-1 Mission Launch to the ISS

An initiative of the Powerhouse: Future Space program

2024

2024

Exoskeleton

Exoskeleton

Powerhouse Parramatta

Parramatta

Parramatta

2023

Stories

Karen Walker – My Top 10 Misfits

Beautiful Freak in the Machine

Powerhouse X VIVID

Beautiful Freak in the Machine: Karen Walker

Karen Walker – My Top 10 Misfits

‘Corduroy, tweed, Cuban heels, bonkers glasses - need I say more?’

Karen Walker

From Jarvis Cocker to James Baldwin to Nina Simone, Karen Walker shares her top 10 misfits and how they have influenced her style and worldview.

Body hugging, knee length dress made of navy blue cotton mix fabric. Printed in white and grey on the front of the dress is a fake multi-strand necklace of pearls. — Dress designed and made by Karen Walker, New Zealand, 2000
Object No. 2001/66/1-1

A model wearing black dress, white high heels, and pearl necklace standing in front of a pink background. At the top right of the photo prints 'Etiquette' in white text.

Beautiful Freak in the Machine

This is a series of five short films telling stories of fashion, freedom and self-expression. Trailblazers share stories of personal bests and creative processes, colliding with layers of imagery from their bodies of work. These short films are for style fans and pop culture geeks, celebrating the outliers, the misfits and the spirit of creativity.

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Presented by Vivid Ideas and Powerhouse

Featuring: Karen Walker
Creative director: David Bonney
Creative producer: Anna May Kirk
Commissioning editors: Callum Cooper, Lisa Ffrench, Tory Loudon Producer: Cara Stewart
Editor: Yeoseop Yoon
Image research: Brittany Wyper
Special thanks to Mikhail Gherman

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On the left hand side is a purple bike, on the right hand side is a person wearing a purple shirt, black pants and olive coloured shoes making the shape of a telescope out of their hands.

Perks and Mini – Collaboration Mutation

Beautiful Freak in the Machine

Paul Bui is in centre frame wearing a crystal headpiece. There is a multicoloured swirling background.

Paul Bui– From Rave to Ballroom

Beautiful Freak in the Machine

Karen Walker wearing sunglasses, a beige trench coat and jeans walking on a hill.

Karen Walker – My Top 10 Misfits

Beautiful Freak in the Machine

A model stands on the runway during the Australian Fashion Week 2022 Romance Was Born runway show. They wear a colourful floor length dress.

Romance Was Born x Bat for Lashes

Beautiful Freak in the Machine