Darebin Temporary Public Art
Darebin's collection of temporary public art projects
Temporary public artworks can encompass artworks in a wide variety of mediums and technologies. The majority of these artworks are developed by the artist specifically for the short term opportunity available. The lifespan of a temporary public artwork or project can range from a few days to a number of months or even a few years.
Temporary artworks are often experimental in nature and the artist may be responding to specific sites, themes, or opportunities.
View a selection of Darebin's recent public art projects below:
EUGENIA LIM | YELLOW PERIL REVISITED 2021
In 2021 City of Darebin commissioned a series of public artworks by artist Eugenia Lim to be installed above the infamous Gold Leaf Restaurant in Preston. Lim's images are drawn from her earlier 2015 series 'Yellow Peril'.
Yellow Peril explores the impact of mining and immigration on the Australian identity. Ron Robertson-Swann’s infamous Vault (1980), and an archival snapshot of the artist's parents in front of Swann's sculpture, are the entwined starting points for Lim’s performative and playful work.
Yellow Peril (2015) comprises video, prints and sculpture—the work is reimagined here through photographic images and text across three large-scale billboards sited on and around Gold Leaf restaurant. The work spans timescales within the recent settler-colonial history of Australia: an image of Lim's parents as hopeful 'new Australians' sits in dialogue with a panoramic photo of Lim as a gold Mao-suited ‘Ambassador’ sent back in time to the goldfields of the 1850s (rephotographed to fit the building’s dimensions at the end of 2020 in Sovereign Hill), holding a large replica gold nugget based on the 'Welcome Stranger', the world's largest alluvial nugget (found in 1869 in Moliagul, Victoria).
Inspired by the observational comedy of Jacques Tati’s Playtime, and Lim's research into Chinese migration, diaspora and the White Australia Policy, Yellow Peril considers the evolving dynamics between Australia and China and the interconnected nature of our socio-economic future; and unearths lesser-known but existent personal and political histories of Australia. Yellow Peril is part of the City of Darebin's art collection.
Eugenia Lim, Yellow Peril 2015 still from HD video, Darebin Art Collection, installation view at Gold Leaf Restaurant, 417 High Street Preston, commissioned by Darebin Council in 2021
RESERVOIR PUBLIC MURAL PROGRAM 2023
In partnership with the Victorian Government’s Reservoir Revitalisation Program, we have commissioned 5 artists and artist collectives to create murals that depict the uniqueness of Reservoir, the Broadway and Edwardes Street Shopping Centre and its surrounding public spaces.
The murals in this series explore Reservoir’s diverse and multicultural community; its natural landscapes; and its local flora and fauna. In addition to highlighting what makes Reservoir so "uniquely Rezza", the program provides the 5 talents with broad exposure across Melbourne’s arts scene. Completed murals are located in 5 locations across Reservoir and will remain in place for a period of 3 years.
The featured artists are TextaQueen, Abbey Rich and Olana, Christine Martin, Emily Green, and Hayden Dewar.
TextaQueen created the mural "Feeling a Fervour for a Fertile Future" at 5 Edwardes Street, Reservoir.
TextaQueen is a multi-genre artist of Goan descent living on unceded Wurundjeri land. Their practice encompasses drawing, painting, printmaking, video, performance, curating, writing and murals to envision an ever-expanding alternate universe of collective and transformative possibility, centring those not often witnessed in states of empowerment.
Abbey Rich and Olana created this mural for Rezza at 2C Cheddar Road, Reservoir.
Abbey is a public and exhibiting artist based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. Their work predominantly looks at gender, pattern and environment, with a particular interest in accessible and community co-designed public art making. Collaboration is key to Abbey’s practice, and their work intends to be easily approachable and welcoming.
Olana is an Ethiopian-Norwegian proudly self-taught artist based in Thornbury. His vibrant, distinctive works offer a unique take on everyday life – exploring themes of culture, identity, status, and the migrant experience with humour, sensitivity and social insight. He also regularly teaches art to school children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Christine Martin created "Three Creeks" to represent life bound together by the Merri, Darebin and Edgars Creeks.
Christine is an artist working predominantly in pen and ink, creating detailed illustrations that focus on the subject matter of native Australian birds and flowers. Connections between people in her life, loss, grief and love and the complexity and richness of human relationships and experiences, all form a central part of her work.
Emily Green is the jewellery designer and creator of the mural ‘Yummyvoir’.
Emily is a Reservoir based artist and jewellery designer whose bright and vibrant work explores bold patterning and clever colour combinations.
Hayden Dewar created a mural about the beginning and the future of Reservoir, at Broadway in Reservoir.
Hayden is a muralist and painter whose colourful, surreal, nature-based murals can be found littered all over Melbourne and the surrounds. He is passionate about transforming public spaces through mural art and thrives on the positive change and public engagement resulting from his creativity in the urban space.