The City of Sydney, City Art program is seeking public artists to define a new Sydney.
The City of Sydney, City Art program has called for new public artworks in the city centre of Sydney in a bid to unify George Street and connected areas. Artists have been challenged to define the spatial legibility of the city centre of Sydney in a way that is unique.
By spatial legibility, the City of Sydney, City Art program is referencing the physical reality of the space and how it can be understood as a unified place. This could be a difficult challenge. Even after the traffic is removed from George Street, in line with the vision of Sustainable Sydney 2030, art will have to take its place in George Street among light rail, shops and signage.
‘It will still have a lot of signage. It’ll have a lot of people – even more pedestrians than now – so it’s a tough project for an artist. How do they create unity? Is there a way that you could be walking George Street and actually have an experience that feels kind of coherent?’ questioned City Centre Curatorial Advisor Barbara Flynn.
As well as achieving unity, Flynn shares the hope of the City that art will reinforce the social and historical context of Sydney.
‘Probably one of the most important guidelines to artists is to take the opportunity to learn the history of the city,’ said Flynn. The City of Sydney, City Art program is prepared to provide various web links so artists can inform themselves about the history of the area and devise something meaningful.
Artists may choose to focus on Aboriginal history. Alternatively, they could plan works that reference some of the great buildings in the city. ‘The history of the city is complex, so there are all sorts of topics an artist could possibly seize on,’ said Flynn.
A final guideline to consider is how the artwork relates to Sydney in a unique way.
‘Our point of view is that Sydney doesn’t have to imitate other places,’ said Flynn. ‘We see Australia’s distance from the rest of the world as an asset. It can be unique. It can be its own place.’
With a history and culture as rich as Sydney’s, and the multitude of creative approaches possible when devising public artwork, there’s no telling what to expect.
For more information read the City Centre Public Art Plan, or visit the City Art site.
(Pictured: Aerial view of George Street, Sydney)
