The concept for the Kalorama Land Artwork has recently been announced as part of the ongoing work on ngurrak barring | Ridgewalk.
TARRMAC / FOOKS / ASPECT studios are the team of artists and landscape architects creating the artwork and it will be located in the foreground of an iconic viewpoint for the Dandenong Ranges.
The piece will be a key public artwork for ngurrak barring | Ridgewalk and Yarra Ranges announced the developments on its website in early November.
The Land Artwork, ‘Regeneration’ works with the site and The Tate Modern (Gallery) defines land art as “…art that is made directly in the landscape, sculpting the land itself into earthworks or making structures in the landscape using natural materials…”
Consistent with this definition, ‘Regeneration’ is a concept that focuses on using natural materials sourced from the site itself. These materials will be utilised to create sculptures, designed paths, and planting areas made of local native species.
‘Regeneration’ is inspired by William Barak’s paintings and drawings of the area, and on Edna Walling’s celebrated environmental design.
William Barak’s depictions of life in the region provide moving insights. His drawings of the Lyrebird render the intricacy of the feathers and the creature’s unique ability to mimic sounds of other wildlife that echo through the valleys.
Edna Walling’s celebrated influential environmental design steered changes to gardening practices that now emphasise the importance of sustainability.
Following an open expression of interest process earlier this year, forty-two submissions were received of which six parties were shortlisted by the Public Art Working Group, consisting of local arts practitioners, business owners and public art professionals’, to progress to the second stage. These six parties were invited to tender and create a concept proposal.
The Regeneration concept proposal by Jon Tarry (TARRMACstudio), Marti Fooks (FOOKS Studio), James Morton and Kirsten Bauer (ASPECT Studio) was recommended by the Public Art Working Group and approved by the Director, Communities, Yarra Ranges Council.
The entire ngurrak barring cultural trail project is funded to $9.8M through the Federal Government’s Regional Growth Fund and Community Development Grant Programs, the State Government’s Growing Suburbs Fund and Yarra Ranges Council.
The artwork with the community is hoped to be complete by mid-2024.
