The Authority’s Branch Manager of Design and Place, Lucy Wilson, was invited to respond to the statement “public art is a powerful tool” at Salon Canberra’s event on 21 May 2024. Lucy posed that the creativity of the process is just as important as the final output of the art itself. She argued that public art and creative practice enhance the built environment and change the lives of our community, both directly and indirectly, and highlighted three areas within the creative process that talk directly to this. Here’s an edited transcript of her presentation.
Image: Lucy Wilson presenting at Salon Canberra in May 2024
Public art cultivates social connection and it draws direct inspiration from the nature of the world around it. Public art is not just an accessory, but rather a major contributing factor to the significance of place.
Garema Place’s “The Big Swoop” by Yanni Pounartzis is a great example of the social connections public art nourishes. The artwork responds to magpies as a part of daily life in Canberra and inspires reflection on our own memories - don’t most of us have a story about bird stealing a chip?
The community response to the artwork has been wonderful. The Big Swoop is featured on merchandise - it’s been listed as an “Australian Big Thing” featuring on coins and a stamp! It’s one of the most recognised and discussed items in Canberra. It highlights how when art reflects the environment around it, it can impact and enhance people’s social connection to place.
Image: “The Big Swoop” by Yanni Pounartzis, featured in Garema Place.
While a new giant magpie sculpture creates a new experience, ephemeral art creates even further opportunity to present a unique or changing experience to community.
Although ephemeral art can have some of the biggest impacts in our community, it is frequently overlooked in favour of its permanent counterparts. Ephemeral art can be an event or experience to take part in, with the creative and artistic nature easily overlooked.
Image: Illuminated T-Rex attracting community members at “Before Us”
As part of the City Illuminations “Before Us”, Erth Visual & Physical Inc brought roving performances of prehistoric life to Canberra’ Civic Square, from a life-sized T-rex to a prehistoric emu. It was an all-ages illumination experience in the City Centre that enthralled adults and children alike.
Whilst some may not see the puppets as sophisticated pieces of art, they captivate and intrigue younger audiences in a way that traditional art may not. Engaging children with ephemeral art helps explore their creativity, imagination and self expression. It also encourages them to be involved in creative process as they grow, and it shapes their connection to a place and grows their sense of belonging.
Commissioning public art can build capability for creative practices within the community. By carefully planning and incorporating public art into projects, it can provide opportunities for learning and development for community.
Image: Various artists’ tools used to create ideas for Ngamawari, the future public park at Acton Waterfront.
As a part of Ngamawari, the Authority is undertaking a process in collaboration with FORM WA through the Land.Mark.Process to build public art capability within the Ngunnawal community – in short, the outcome will be high-quality public art for the park.
The process commenced with time taken to build relationships and trust between the Authority and the Ngunnawal community. This was followed by providing a flexible and facilitated process for any creative Ngunnawal person (not just artists) to participate in an ongoing series of hands-on workshops.
Image: Artist sketch during one of the Ngamawari artwork development workshops.
This approach not only empowers creatives, but in this particular instance the process will pay cultural and social dividends and promote cultural exchange, also providing economic participation in some of the City Centre’s major infrastructure projects.
Through the Authority’s public realm projects, placemaking grants, events and projects, we are driving public art projects designed to beautify the City Renewal Precinct, help create a sense of place, and enhance locals’ and visitors’ appreciation and connection to our culture and heritage.
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We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.
