ACCA playground a doggy delight

As part of this year’s SummerSalt Festival, Melbourne artist Anastasia Klose created a one-of-a-kind dog park at the ACCA forecourt in Southbank.

This doggy free-for-all playground had outdoor installations designed by Ms Klose so pets and their owners could have a fun day out.

Klose’s muse was none other than her own bassett hound Farnsworth who was appropriately appointed official head-of-state at the Republic for Dogs. “Farnsworth’s Republic for Dogs is a dog park with a unique Melbourne flavour, a place where dogs and their owners can come and enjoy an outdoors installation specifically made for dogs,” Ms Klose said.

The republic had kennels shaped like some of Melbourne’s iconic arts buildings, canine paw-sports, doggy-style obstacles, luxury dog-beds and plenty of room for doggy business.

Ms Klose was always looking at a way to utilise the ACCA forecourt space and was interested in finding a way to translate the experience of her everyday life into art.

“I’ve always looked at this space outside of ACCA and thought about how it could be used. It just seems like it’s waiting for something to happen on it and so I thought a dog park would be a really good idea.

“It just brings in a whole other demographic to contemporary art. It’s not threatening, it makes people feel welcome and it’s something that people can relate to,” she said.

Ms Klose is unsure if the doggy playground will make a comeback in the near future but the prospects excite her.

“It will be really interesting to see what happens to the kennels and see whether I get asked to do this anywhere else because you could take this idea anywhere around the world,” she said.