From the gallery to the streets

By Sunny Liu

The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) is taking art onto the streets and public spaces of Southbank and the CBD to publicly showcase the essence of visual art and performances.

The program, called The City Speaks, features some artworks that are on display 24/7 from November 7 to 20.

The locations include Flinders Lane, Market St, Queen St and many more. Visitors will have free access to all the artworks and performances.

The artists hope to enliven the public space in Melbourne and contribute to ideas about the city, urbanism and community.

Program curator Annika Kristensen says she wants to evoke curiosity among the audience in a new environment.

“Traditionally  all the exhibitions and performances are carried out in a gallery context, so the audience know what to expect. But by taking it out on the streets, people who normally would not go to art galleries can see the artwork and can have some interesting encounters with art,” she said.

“People are now bombarded with ads in the city. Our program focuses on text-based artworks that borrow from the forms of the ads but provides something different for visitors.”

“People that go past the exhibition can have a sense of emotion and we want to display art in a broader sense,” Ms Kristensen said.

Some of the artworks and shows include text-based posters that borrow aesthetically from sporting and protest banners and will be installed in ground-floor windows in some laneways.  There will also be a one-on-one encounter with performer Jacqui Shelton about the intimate and physical ways of communication.

The City Speaks is the second in a series where ACCA transports art from indoor galleries to the streets.

Go to accaonline.org.au for more information and bookings.