MoreArt! Public Art Takes Moreland

Arts & Events - by Open Journal

MoreArt is the excellent public art initiative of Moreland City Council. Defying local council’s reputation for red tape, MoreArt embodies the creativity and resourcefulness of the tight knit Moreland community.

Born from an initial public sculpture exhibition, MoreArt is now in its 6th year encompassing a program of bike tours, talks and participatory art pieces.

Focusing on the Upfield Line rail corridor, the program aims to support local emerging artists with publicly accessible works in unusual and unexplored sites. The intention is to incorporate permanent creative dimensions to the existing bicycle paths and train infrastructure, conjuring a thought-provoking artistic world that contrasts to the heavily urbanised setting.

For Moreland City Council, the rail corridor is seen as a big gallery space, linking sustainable transport with local artists, commuters, residents and businesses. A billboard collaboration with RMIT Brunswick for example ensures the local student body at the campus is represented on a public platform, while the Counihan Gallery compliments the program with the Moreland Summer Art show running from November 20th to December 13th.

The MoreArt 2015 theme is ‘Participation: Real or imagined, conjured and or discovered, a shrine, a monument, a ritual, a tribute, a custom’. Artists have responded by creating avenues for community participation, reflection and contemplation.

This year MoreArt is presenting the first projection night at Jewell Station on Friday the 4th of December from 6-9pm, including a Night Bike Tour of the works from 6-8.30pm.

Jewell Station will further play host to Making it Moreland on Sunday December 6th- a special panel discussion on how public art can be supported across Melbourne. The panel, including Neometro’s Laura Phillips will reflect on how both the private and public sectors can promote an active engagement with art in the public sphere.

Highlights of the program include:

Matter of Fact Jewell Station: Artist in Residence by James Voller, Ben Lamason and Sean Keenan encompassing projection and paste-ups