Western Sydney's Hottest Hearthrobs
Ghost in the Machine, Outer Space
Western Sydney’s Hottest Heartthrobs: What if this Summer at the ARI is forever…?
by Celacious666
Enter a niche fandom of Summer ARI’s Hottest Hearthrobs – you meet 3 friends who run an artist-run gallery together. Each with their creative hobbies and quirks, who will you befriend and form a deeper connection with?
Creating characters based on the 3 other exhibiting artists, this work toys with the fuzzy line between fiction and reality. Styling them as bishounen (Japanese for beautiful youth), they traverse between fan-made media modelled on otome games (dating simulator made for women-centric audience), Kpop idol magazines and collectibles, referencing a plethora of fan cultures and possibilities.
Their story is set in a fictional gallery, Summer ARI, inspired by the artist’s experience at Pari, an artist-run gallery on Dharug land (Western Sydney). The title references the name that almost was, ‘10 degrees Hotter’, which some thought it sounded like a boyband. Summer, a trope that evokes youth, euphoria and fleetingness. Enveloping the world of Summer ARI is a rose-coloured lens that highlights the romance of collectivity.
Drawing parallels between fanwork production and self-organising within ARI culture, I pay tribute to these labour of love by artists.
👾 Enter the World of Summer ARI – Interactive Quiz.
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Full colour digital illustration by @louiruii
Story & character designs by @celacious666
Celacious666 is the fanfic writer persona of Celine.
xxX making fanart & fics Xxx
special thx 2 my baby sib @louiruii 4 helping me wif w0rldbuild!ng & some of da illos. U rok! k@$h ur da luv of my deprzzing lyf u rok 2! MCR ROX!
Photos by Louis Lim, courtesy of Outer Space Brisbane for Ghost in the Machine, 2025.
Photos by Outer Space, courtesy of Outer Space.