MELBOURNECELEBRATING 50 YEARSOF
KALDORPUBLICARTPROJECTS
Tomarkhalfa centuryof theillustriousKaldor
PublicArtProjects,theorganisationhas
partneredwiththeArtGalleryof NewSouth
Walesto chroniclein detail 34 projectsfrom
overtheyears,someof thebiggestandmost
iconiclarge-scaleartworkspresentedin this
country.TheyincludeWrappedCoast, which
saw2.5kilometresof Sydney’sLittleBay
shroudedin fabricandropebackin 1969(then
thelargestsingleartworkevermade),andJeff
Koons’sPuppy, a 12.4-metre-tallflowering
terrieroutsidetheMuseumof Contemporary
Artin 1995.AGNSW’sNicholasChambers,the
exhibition’scurator,hasfondmemoriesof
beinginspiredbythelatteras a second-year
undergraduatearthistorystudent.“Itspoketo
a differentsetof possibilitiesforart,of outsized
ambitionandbroadpublicappeal.Themuseum
became a mere backdrop.” Chambers explainsthatforthearchivalcomponentof theexhibit,
onshowat AGNSW,“[Theexhibition’screator,
British]artistMichaelLandybeganwitha very
democraticidea...wherebyheassignedeach
projecta 4x4space,a kindof oversizedarchive
box.”Insideyou’llfindremnantsof theprojects
thatwillincludephotographs,letters,artist
sketchesandobjects,givennewlife.
There’llalsobemajornewcommissionsand
presentations,publictalksandotherevents
thatwillberolledoutoverthefollowingfive
monthsinto2020.They’llallbefree—
somethingChamberssaysis “crucially
important”,thoughsomewillrequire
registrationdueto demand.“Giventheright
opportunities,broadanddiverseaudiencesare
hungryforcontemporaryart,”headds.
“Thatartshouldbefreeandmadeavailable
to allis anideaverycloseto thegallery’sheart.”
(September7–February16,2020;
50years.kaldorartprojects.org.au)EditedbyALEXANDRA ENGLISHSYDNEYIMAGINEwalkingintoa 100-square-metre
fieldof continuousrainfall.You’dexpectto getpretty
drenched,right?Well,youcanleaveyourumbrella
at home(oronthebus),becauseinRainRoom,an
installationbytheartgroupRandomInternational
recentlyacquiredbyJackalopeArtCollection,you
canbefullyimmersedinthedownpourandstay
completelydry.Motionsensorsinstalledina purpose-
builtwarehousestopwaterdropletsfromfallingwhere
you’restanding,makingfora surrealexperiencethat
bothconfusesanddelightsthesenses.Seeit at the
JackalopePavilioninSt Kilda,Melbourne,from
August9 untiltheendof theyear.Ticketsavailable
at jackalopehotels.com/art/rainroom.
THISYEAR’SMELBOURNE
WRITERSFESTIVAL’S
10-dayprogramis inspiredby
love.“Lovestirsourcreative
spirits,bringsustoourknees,
inspiressongsandsonnetsand
paintingsandvolumes,and
breaksusintotinypiecesand
gluesusbacktogetheragain
withgoldadhesive,”saysartistic
directorMariekeHardy.Musician
andwriterKimGordon(ofSonic
Youthfame,pictured)willgrace
ourshores,aswillauthorand
essayistSloaneCrosley(The
Clasp,LookAliveOutThere).
Whenyou’renotwearingyour
heartonyoursleeve,youmight
notbewearinganythingatall
— there’salsoa ‘nakedjourney’
throughtheStateLibrary
ofVictoriaplanned.
(August30–September8;
mwf.com.au)MELBOURNEKaldorProject30:
MarinaAbramović:
In Residence, 2015.WrappedCoast,OneMillionSquareFeet,LittleBay,Sydney,Australiaby Christo and Jeanne-Claude,1968–1969.WRAPPEDCOAST:SHUNK-KENDER/©1969CHRISTO;MARINAABRAMOVIĆ:FELIPENEVES;RAINROOM:BARBICAN,LONDON,2012,COURTESYOFJACKALOPE;KIMGORDON:DAVIDBLACK/COURTESYOFMELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL; SYDNEY CONTEMPORARY: COURTESY OF SHARON ADAMSON/TJALA ARTSCULTURE
