Artists on board for depot project

ARTISTS are applying the final touches to a special project at the former Grenda’s Bus Depot site in Dandenong.
Grenda Corporation has completed its move from Foster Street, where the company began in 1945, to nearby Brighton Road.
The $14 million move is the first significant relocation under the City of Greater Dandenong and VicUrban’s $290 million revitalisation of central Dandenong.
To mark the historical move, the City of Greater Dandenong and VicUrban commissioned seven artists and a photographer to create an artistic tribute on the site.
The works will be displayed at the Foster Street site in an exhibition kicking off next week, aptly named Depot.
The exhibition will celebrate Grenda Corporation’s historical significance to the Dandenong community.
The former depot is set to be demolished soon after the exhibition ends this month.
City of Greater Dandenong place manager Jenny Pemberton-Webb said residents would appreciate the unique exhibit – which is expected to be filmed by the ABC to be shown on television.
“In a world where it seems time stops for no one, it is a rare treat that space is provided for artists to respond creatively and commemorate historically important locations,” she said.
Artists Cameron Robbins, Robbie Rowlands, Campbell Drake, Susan Jacobs, Ben Morieson, James Carey, and Matt Morrow will contribute to the site, which will be on show to the public between 7 and 13 April.
Respected writer Geraldine Barlow will interview the artists and discuss their work and its relationship to the site.
Early this year, photographer Hilton Stone took snapshots of the site, the business, its work force and everyday operations, before Grenda Corporation moved premises.
The result is a collection of photos that give rare insights into the culture of the workplace, daily rituals, the connection between staff, and the manner in which the business functions.
Depot will be open each day between noon and 6pm between 7 and 13 April.