The Best in Show BBQ, where dogs and their collaborators shared their stories, happy snaps and trails of discovery was held as the culmination of this iteration of the project. This was well attended, with over 50 dogs and 100 people present. The event included a sausage sizzle (carnivore and vegan), a performance by Tess De Quincey and her giant poodles, and an awards ceremony. For the awards ceremony, the photographs were judged prior to the event by curators from The Australian Centre for photography (ACP), and prizes awarded for the best in show dog photographs. Categories included best overall dogographer, best abstract, best landscape and best magic realism. Certificates and dog prize packs (supplied through sponsorship from a local dog treat business) were awarded by the curators of ACP and Performance Space. Celebrant Victoria Spence was engaged as an event consultant and MC for the day.
The focus for this iteration was community development, engagement and mapping. I aimed to use the work to provide a framework for recording relationships as a way of placemaking. I also wanted to subvert, or at least provide an alternative to the mainstream art institution’s regulation of cultural experiences.
Best in Show prize: Best Social Photography. Photograph: Bruiser 
Best in Show prize winner: Best Café Culture. Photograph: Parker 
Best in Show prize: Magic Realism. Photograph: Dafyyd 
Best in Show prize: Best Candid Moment. Photograph: Leroy 
Best in Show prize winner. Best Sniff Abstraction. Photograph: Panda
Best In Show BBQ 
Photo: Laika’s Dérive Best in Show BBQ event documentation 2011.
Alex Wisser, 2011. CC-BY 4.0
