Arts in your space
Arts In Your Space is the Year 4 initiative of our Public Arts Strategy.
This project encouraged selected artists to re-consider highly visible locations in Unley as cultural canvases, and supported a Council initiative in reviving interest for art in public spaces.
Arts In Your Space provided opportunities for artists to make a statement, selecting from a choice of potential sites across Unley’s public realm.
Six diverse, exciting and unique public arts projects were commissioned, all of which proved memorable additions to our ever-growing public gallery.
This project was supported by a Public Art and Design grant from Arts SA.
Unley Colour Court - Page Park, Clarence Park
Potentially the first basketball court mural in South Australia, and perhaps Australia, Unley Colour Court was produced by artist Matt Fortrose for the City of Unley. You can check out Unley Colour Court at Page Park, the first of our ‘Arts In Your Space’ projects.
Matthew Fortrose is an experienced street artist whose artworks were a contemporary response to heritage tones found in Unley. The deeper shades of slate and cream are reflective of bluestone and sandstone, materials often used in the construction of earlier housing styles. Post a selfie of you and others on the basketball court on Instagram #unleycolourcourt #funley #cityofunley
This Time Another Year - Henry Codd Reserve, Parkside
Two contemporary 2-metre white steel sculptural artworks by artist Bridget Currie are complemented by plantings of Giant Sea Squill and Native Chocolate Lily bulbs in their space, which gives the sculptures different appearances in changing seasons.
Bridget is once of Adelaide's foremost contemporary artists, exhibited around the world and represented by Greenaway Gallery. These sculptures were the first conceptual works commissioned by the City of Unley for its public realm.
In Bridget's own words:
'The form of the sculptural elements is abstract, developed intuitively in relation to the site. What is a visitor to the Henry Codd Reserve thinking? The action of walking, memories, abstract thoughts, sensory information from the environment are all layered together. As we float in our own thoughts, it is imagined that these white sculptural forms will float in the park setting, providing a moment of stillness and contemplation.
Ideas of regeneration, time and transience are evoked by the life-cycle of a bulb. The cyclical nature of flowering bulbs allows an element of anticipation and familiarity to develop for regular users of the park. I hope that the growth of the bulbs within the structure becomes a regular event - one that can be looked forward to and enjoyed with pride by the local community.'
The Beehives of Goodwood - Goodwood Oval, Millswood
Two steel domes representing beehives were created by artist Ellen Schlobohm close to the playground and subtly placed in the mulch beneath the cork trees, but clearly visible from the main oval.
Ellen explains:
'The design for the dome reflects a beehive and its inhabitants. Bees live in communities and work together to prosper and grow. This reflects the way the community within the City of Unley comes together for events, makes way for new infrastructure and supports local businesses and produce.
The domes celebrate community and emphasise the value of coming together, to work, to live and to thrive. The site for the domes is Goodwood Oval, which is an important part of this community. Locals come to watch sporting matches, host family picnics and enjoy the fantastic playground area. The space connects people from all aspects of the community and can only be enhanced with public art which will be enjoyed for years to come.
I also chose to use the hive and bee motifs in my designs as I believe it is important to recognise the vital role bees play in our ecosystem and the impact modern society has had on their natural environment. We need to encourage our bee populations to grow in a way that is sustainable and healthy - for both the bees and the community. The domes encourage people to consider this issue and provides a starting point for conversations between parents and their children about respecting our environment.'
Ways of Walking - everyday journeys of citizens of Unley
'Ways of Walking' is a tour of everyday walks and unique experiences of local people in Malvern, Highgate, Fullarton and Myrtle Bank. Artist Cynthia Schwertsik gathered stories, memories and activities of local residents through community engagement at Highgate Primary School, Fullarton Park Community Centre and other Council facilities.
Cynthia re-told their stories on Stobie pole signs - which pay homage to our everyday regulatory street signage - and reinterpreted them with videos, photos and images.
By using a QR Code app you can enjoy 20 mini-artworks which, as Cynthia says, 'reveal the pleasures encountered by residents every day, opening a portal to share the joy in the real space as well as in the virtual'.
'Ways of Walking' is part of an ongoing series of walking trails that are available using the IZI.travel app. Go to the App Store on your phone, download izi.travel, work through the introduction and go to 'All Guides' at the bottom of the screen to reveal Discover Historic Goodwood.
We invite you to view Discover Historic Goodwood, Discover Historic Unley, Goodwood Road Streetscape artworks and, during SALA Festival, SALA in Unley.
Poolside - Forestville Reserve, Forestville
This 18-metre wide artwork created by Project2Project is a celebration of the Unley Swimming Centre, and creates a strong sense of nostalgia and fun.
Using historical and contemporary images on the rear wall of the Swimming Centre’s changerooms, this image will make you come back time and again to see the many contemporary 'disruptions’ that Project2Project have added.
As the project group say:
'We believe that artworks in the public realm should engage the viewer multiple times, and to this end we create work that is playful and has a sense of discovery - there are hidden treasures to be found, rediscovered and experienced over time.'
This Way and That - Culvert Street, Parkside
Two colourful 2.8 metre tall concrete and steel sculptures created by artist Cheryll Johns are a playful comment on the amount of signage we have in our public realm. These whimsical creations ‘direct’ the large volumes of pedestrians and cyclists who travel in both directions along Glen Osmond Creek.
Cheryll says:
'This Way and That' is a response to the pathways winding through the site and a tongue-in-cheek twist on signage.
A thoroughfare doesn’t have to be seen as a disadvantage. A path is a shared space where different people’s journeys cross and intersect, take u-turns and about-faces. Life isn’t ruled by a straight path. People smile at each other, wave, stop and talk to each other, bringing their own personal take on the world with them, touching another’s world as they pass.
Individual moments come together to form a collective experience. This is the value of a public pathway. 'This Way and That' celebrates inclusive spaces for everyone’s journeys.
Bright and uplifting, these figures are attention-seekers, designed to steal moments from a pedestrian’s everyday routine to encourage them to take in their surroundings. They are a reason to stop, appreciate and enjoy the space. These sculptures are friendly and accessible, and a discussion point, drawing the public through the Culvert Street site to see and interact with them.'