Monday, 29 June 2009
Melbourne’s iconic laneways will create surprise and intrigue with a new season of public artworks to be installed as part of this year’s Laneway Commissions.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the Laneway Commissions had been running for nine years and offered artistic expression and discussion.
“The Laneway Commissions are one of Melbourne’s most loved annual programs, and communicate the unique nature of our most treasured icons, continually drawing people to the treasured city laneways.
“This year’s commissions demonstrate a myriad of cultural aesthetics and also include contributions from some international artists,” the Lord Mayor said.
Chair of People and Creative City Committee Councillor Jennifer Kanis said the commissions formed part of the Public Art Program, and were artworks that spoke to a broader audience.
“The Laneway Commissions live outside the constraints of traditional art, and are specifically chosen for the way that they inspire, move and interact with those who venture down the hidden laneways of our city, be they Melburnians or visitors.
“This year’s Laneway Commissions communicate themes that are universal and relate to us all,” Cr Kanis said.
QuingLan Huang, who created City Dream, this year’s first appearing commission, was influenced by her Chinese heritage to create a work that communicates the aspirations and desires of the dream world.
“Without even realising, the dream-like creatures visible within the projection are reminiscent of some of the Chinese characters I knew as a child, while my artwork communicates a broader human desire for freedom and to be one’s true self,” said Huang.
Other works express themes which are poignantly relevant to all Australians while also carrying significance for international audiences. Canadian artist Cathy Busby has bridged a connection between the Australian and Canadian Aboriginal cultures, with her work We Are Sorry.
“My work aims to capture the essence of the 2008 landmark apologies to the Aboriginal people of both Australia and Canada. I invite public analysis of our shared colonial past that resulted in the tragic histories of both Aboriginal cultures, in the context of each country’s present day attempts at reconciliation,” said Busby.
We Are Sorry will also be displayed on the exterior of the Nova Scotia Archives building in Halifax, Canada.
City Dream can be viewed now, We Are Sorry from 14 July, with the remaining commissions coming to life around the city in July, August and September.
The Public Art Program, including the Laneways Commissions, is just one City of Melbourne
initiative which recognises and fosters Melbourne’s creative potential.
Below is an outline of each Laneway Commission for the 2009-2010 season:
1. City Dream
Artist: QingLan Huang
Location: Lingham Lane (off Flinders Lane between Swanston and Elizabeth streets)
Expressed through the form of electric graffiti, City Dream is a gradual projection on an ordinary wall, allowing pedestrians to create their own interpretation of the story that is left there. City Dream is a story about a puppet and her experiences, told through a light-based collage of city memories and human desires.
City Dream can be viewed from 22 June to 30 September.
2. Rear window
Artist: Sue McCauley and Keith Deverell - Greyspace
Location: Guildford and Flanigan Lanes (off Queen and Sutherland streets between Little Lonsdale and La Trobe streets). Croft Alley (enter via Paynes Place, off Little Bourke Street between Russell and Exhibition streets).
Rear Window is a video installation exploring the role of laneways in the contemporary working lives of people in Chinatown. Through projection onto the city surface itself, Rear Window creates a visual continuum that links past habitation in these alleys with the reality of their contemporary use.
Rear Window can be viewed from dusk till late, 13 July to 8 August and is presented in conjunction with the Melbourne International Film Festival.
3. We Are Sorry
Artist: Cathy Busby
Location: 620-640 Little Bourke Street (between King and Spencer streets)
In a large-sign format, Canadian artist Cathy Busby presents We Are Sorry, a work composed of excerpts from the 2008 landmark apologies to Aboriginal peoples for policies of assimilation, delivered by Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Stephen Harper (Canada).
We Are Sorry can be viewed from 14 July.
4. site unseen
Writers: Philip Samartzis, Darren Tofts, Eugenia Lim, John Harding, Anna Johnson
site unseen is a collection of essays by five Australian writers that complements the Laneway Commissions 2009 season. Each writer responds to one of the commissioned proposals, expanding upon the themes explored by the artist.
site unseen is available on 15 July from the City of Melbourne, 9658 9658 (limited numbers available), or online at www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/arts
5. Call Notes
Artist: Dan St Clair
Location: Hardware Lane (off Bourke, Little Bourke and Lonsdale streets between Elizabeth and Queen streets).
The trees along Hardware Lane will host a number of solar-powered sound devices, programmed with the sounds of local bird species singing familiar tunes from the last 60 years. The brighter the sun, the more they sing, so the birds are best heard around lunchtime on a clear day.
Call Notes can be viewed from 8 August to 10 February 2010.
6. The Durational Light Project
Artist: Geoff Robinson
Location: Unnamed Lane next to Hotel Lindrum (off Flinders Lane between Spring and Exhibition streets)
The Durational Light Project is an installation investigating the city’s relationship to the sun and time. Utilising light reflective panels, it charts the duration of direct sunlight in the laneway through the movement of reflected light.
The Durational Light Project can be viewed from 17 September to 28 March 2010.