Great cities are often defined by their disparate districts and precincts, whether they be cultural
– think Chinatown or Little Italy – or activity-based – financial districts or sports precincts, for
example.
Melbourne has long been renowned for its distinct cultural hubs and, in recent years, for the
increasingly coordinated nature of its sporting venues too.
And, as anyone who lives in or has visited the city lately will be aware, the Victorian capital is
also currently undergoing major transformations in both its transport systems and, significantly,
its arts buildings.
The Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co) is working to integrate and develop the area
south of Birrarung/Yarra River, so that all the existing arts venues (and some new ones) belong
to one cohesive precinct.
Nature should be at the heart of every reimagining and particularly in a hub where culture, community and creativity come together.
Accordingly, the centre of the Melbourne Art Precinct transformation will feature an 18,000-
square metre urban garden, called Laak Boorndap, which is being designed as a vibrant and
living sanctuary for art, nature, education and performance.
Due to open to the public in 2028, the garden is envisioned to attract hundreds of thousands of
visitors from near and far every year.
And now MAP Co is inviting expressions of interest for a permanent public artwork that will be
located in Laak Boorndap. This commission is intended to mark and celebrate the significant and ongoing history of First Peoples on this land.
Interested creatives are encouraged to explore ‘themes of seasonality and regeneration,
biodiversity, community and culture, bringing their distinct vision and narratives to shape the
visual and cultural identity of this significant space,’ says MAP Co.
The successful artwork will be one that captures the profound connections First Peoples have to
Country, and its flora and fauna, and underscores their long established and ongoing knowledge
of the best ways to protect and care for it, and future-proof it for generations to come.
Key details:
Submission deadline: Thursday 30 October 2024 at 3pm AEST.
Eligibility: Expressions of interest are open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists
residing in Victoria.
Project location: Laak Boorndap, Melbourne Arts Precinct.
For more information and to submit your EOI, please visit Melbourne Arts Precinct.
This article was updated on 24 October 2024, following an extension in the deadline for submissions.
