By Danielle Kutchel
The City of Greater Dandenong is encouraging local artists to explore the beauty of the natural world through a new exhibition, Flora, set to debut later this year.
The exhibition coincides with the UN International Year of Plant Health, and curator Esther Gyorki said it promises to be an immersive experience.
“We want to encourage visitors to explore the importance, fragility and beauty of nature and the plant world,” she explained.
A series of information sessions, workshops and other installations will be held throughout the exhibition from 22 October to 21 November, allowing visitors to go deeper into the artwork and their inspiration.
Mindful of Covid-19, much of the program is planned to be held outside or online, with indoor gallery spaces used as well, and the exhibition will have several parts.
Walker Street Gallery will play host to artwork from 10 artists drawn from around Australia with a specific focus on native flora.
Meanwhile, a concurrent exhibition at Heritage Hill Museum and Historic Gardens will be filled with pieces by members of the wider community looking at plant life more broadly.
Submissions are open until the 14 September, and while the must focus on the theme of flora, artists can use any medium: sculpture, painting, photography, mixed media and even audio-visual works.
Interested local artists are asked to submit examples of their work and some information about it to the Greater Dandenong website for consideration.
“We really want to have as many people as possible be part of this project,” Ms Gyorki said.
Another element of Flora is a sound-based artist in residence program.
Applications are currently open to anyone working in sound, composition, voice or music, with the chosen artist to be based at Alex Wilkie Nature Reserve in Springvale for the three-month residency from August to October.
Anyone interested in submitting their work for consideration should visit greaterdandenong.com/document/32758/arts-opportunities
