Melbourne is renowned as Australia's cultural and creative capital. We re committed to working with local artists and diverse industries to find opportunities for creative expression and activation across our city including an ever-growing list of exciting construction projects.
The 12-month opt-in Creative Hoardings trial works collaboratively with local artists and developers to transform construction sites into vibrant creative spaces, adding colour and storytelling to Melbourne's streets.
We have a range of support to help developers take part in the trial, including:
- Council-commissioned artworks which can be printed and installed on hoardings.
- Access to a panel of interested and suitable artists for new commissions.
- Advice on commissioning artwork independently, including guidelines, sample contracts, advice on fees and a review process.
Our Creative Hoardings trial will provide insights that will determine if the program should be rolled out more widely in the future.
Read our Developer Guidelines below and get in touch with us today to learn how you can enhance the visual appeal of your site, support local artists and contribute to the future of Melbourne's creative hoardings program.
This trial aligns with City of Melbourne's strategic objective; Melbourne's unique identity and place, which prioritises celebrating and protecting the places, people and cultures that make Melbourne a unique, vibrant and creative city.
You can explore the commissioned works below.
Frequently asked questions
The Creative Hoardings trial will operate on an opt-in basis and will run for 12 months. The trial will provide insights to determine if the program should be rolled out more widely in the future.
The trial seeks to work collaboratively with developers and focuses on commercial construction projects longer than 12 weeks.
Creative Hoardings will enhance the look and feel of our streets, they add character and vibrancy as well as improve the quality of experience for visitors, workers and local businesses.
We ve commissioned unique artworks from local artists for developers to choose from. These artworks will be made available as high-resolution, print-ready files to download, print, and install.
If you wish to commission your own independent artist to design a new work, we have a range of support services to assist you including sample contracts, advice on fees and a review process, as well as a list of suitable artists from our database of more than 200 local artists with experience in producing murals.
Developers taking part in the trial program can access the City of Melbourne-commissioned artworks free of charge however, costs associated with the layout, printing and installation of the artwork will need to be covered by the participating developer. The City of Melbourne will assist with advice and consultation.
Printing and installation can range from $100 to $120 per linear meter (30m hoarding is approximately $3500). This estimate includes site survey, sail track, printing and installation. It does not include permits or pedestrian or traffic control.
Please contact the Creative City team for further information on costs.
Developers who are interested in taking part in the trial can notify the Creative City team at any time from the early stages of the construction application process to the time of installation of protective hoarding.
Developers will be able to meet with the Creative Hoardings Project Officer to confirm artwork selection and correct customisation and installation of the artwork to their specific site hoardings.
For further details on artwork available and how to take part in the trial, download and read our Developer Guidelines or contact the Creative City team at publicart@melbourne.vic.gov.au .
Document download
Commissioned works
Eric Jong
Through a LiDAR sparsely
Created with lo-fi Photogrammetry and LiDAR, these scans of various locations in Melbourne unravel new, novel and unexpected ways of looking at the city.
Eric Jong is a Melbourne based contemporary artist, primarily focused on the application of novel technologies as practice led research, exploring power and empathy through visual art.
Madeleine Joy Dawes
Overlooking the Star (what’s chasing you?)
Drawing its imagery from the Merri Creek labyrinth and the use of meditative repetition, this work creates a sense of slowing down in a fast paced and often disconnected city environment.
Madeleine Joy Dawes is a Melbourne artist whose practice focuses on durational repetitive drawing as a record of time and space.
Nina Sanadze
Reshaping Monuments
Oscillating between the stillness and hardness, these luscious photographs challenge the traditional still life genre by introducing the hand of the artist and movement into the images.
Nina Sanadze is a Soviet-born (Georgia), Melbourne-based artist who works with photography, monuments, archives and political action dedicated to peace-building.
Oslo Davis
The Readers
This work presents Melbourne as a city of readers, a UNESCO City of Literature. The work playfully celebrates diversity, absurdity and of course reading!
Oslo Davis is a Melbourne-based illustrator, artist and writer who does lively, witty work for both his own amusement and for publications and projects worldwide.
Patrick Pound
The Resistors
Sourced from his expansive private collection, these highly accessible everyday amateur found photographs are both amusing and moving. They make a game of the public and the private state of being in the city. Whether we are resistors, or compulsive photographers, we can’t help but be drawn into an interaction with these found photographs.
Patrick Pound is an artist working with an extensive archive of found photographs that are exhibited in whimsical and specifically curated and categorised collections.
John Patten
Remembering
John Patten is a Yorta Yorta and Bundjalung man, historian, cultural educator and artist. John creates artworks in many mediums, including in traditional ochre and bark, film, animation, digital illustration, large resin and steel public sculptures, and oil portraits.
