If you live in or around Bendigo, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with Ivan Sun. A curator, filmmaker and creative practitioner, Ivan works across community, local history and film production, bringing stories of place, culture and identity to life through contemporary art and digital media.
Ivan’s Practice
Ivan’s practice sits at the intersection of curatorial work, filmmaking, community and history. Through exhibitions, multimedia projects and film, he explores the stories and identities that shape Bendigo and its communities.
His work brings historical and community narratives into contemporary spaces, using creative forms such as digital media, animation, sound and documentary filmmaking to engage audiences with the past in new ways.
In 2023, Ivan received a Regional Arts Fund grant from Regional Arts Victoria, supporting the development of House of Loong, a multimedia digital installation created for the Golden Dragon Museum.
The installation combines a short documentary, interactive quiz, original animations and audio soundscapes to explore Bendigo’s Chinese history and the enduring legacy of the city’s Chinese community. Following its development, House of Loong became a permanent display at the Golden Dragon Museum.
The installation was officially launched in 2024 by the Deputy Consul of the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne. The short film component has since reached audiences beyond Bendigo, with selections at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, Perth Multicultural Film Festival and Chicago’s Chi-con Multicultural Film Festival.
Current Projects
Ivan continues to explore Bendigo’s history and culture through a range of creative projects.
To celebrate the 75th birthday of ‘Bendigo’s Own’ Chiko Roll, Ivan recently curated a display at the Black Swan Hotel. The exhibition features more than 30 vintage posters, a two-metre-high Chiko Roll installation by Chris Roe, and a collection of artwork and memorabilia, including the commemorative Gold Chiko Roll on loan from the City of Greater Bendigo’s Heritage Collection.
Later in November, Ivan will coordinate the Bauhaus Bendigo arts festival, which will explore the influence and legacy of the Bauhaus movement in Australia. The festival will include a symposium featuring keynote speakers Andrew McNamara and Ann Stephen, leading researchers in the field.
Posted 2 Sept 2026