By Casey Neill
An imposing wall in central Dandenong will become the area’s ‘art and soul’ under a new project.
The community can have its say on a new public artwork being considered for the Walker Street car park’s Thomas Street-facing wall.
It spans more than eight storeys and covers about 1000 square metres.
It’s a visual backdrop for Harmony Square and can be seen from locations around Dandenong.
A small group of community members developed a vision for the site during a series of workshops earlier this year.
Following a national expressions of interest process, the council short-listed five Melbourne-based artists to create detailed visual concepts.
Emma Anna combines 305 hexagonal panels in interconnected clusters to represent the community’s diversity in her artwork Aurora.
Their colours represent history, hospitality, culture, diversity and the future, and night time will reveal LEDs in constellation-like symbols and shapes.
Ash Keating’s Walker Street Response uses paint layers to depict people leading individual lives in a shared space, side by side. It features a bold, bright palette.
See the massive art wall come alive.
Blender Studios created billboard-style artwork The Dandenong Dream to illustrate the city’s welcoming soul and the stories behind the residents.
The concept of the Australian Dream inspired the artwork which uses images and icons to explore the Dandenong Dream.
Juddy Roller’s Walker Street Mural would feature portraits of people identified through community engagement.
Their eyes would symbolise their emotional, historic and community connection to place.
An accompanying video documentary would capture the essence of the project.
Interconnections by Yandell Walton would combine a static painted design which is visible during the day and has an animated light projection at night.
It would use dance and movement to explore the emotional, historic and community connections that people have to place.
Residents will be part of the artwork through an invitation to be filmed using 3D camera technology.
Greater Dandenong Mayor Heang Tak said the council asked the artists to capture the municipality’s welcoming soul.
“The shortlisted artists were asked to create an artwork that celebrates people and the humanity of Dandenong and is equally as colourful and engaging during the day as it is at night,” he said.
“The shortlisted artists have all worked nationally and internationally across various mediums.
“We look forward to hearing what the community has to say about the options presented.”
View the five concepts online from Thursday 25 August or in the Dandenong Library windows in Harmony Square from Thursday 1 September.
Community comments and feedback are invited until Tuesday 20 September on the website or at the library.
