Artists selected for public art commissions for Melbourne’s new…

The Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co) today announced that First Nations artists Brooke Wandin and Tarryn Love have been selected to deliver two high-profile public art commissions for Laak Boorndap, the 18,000 square metre garden taking shape in the heart of Melbourne as part of the Victorian Government’s transformation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct.

For generations, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people and the neighbouring Kulin Nations have gathered by Birrarung. Today, the river’s edge is home to the Melbourne Arts Precinct, which brings together a vibrant creative community as the artistic heart of Melbourne, and Victoria. Within Laak Boorndap, two commissions by First Nations artists will reflect this history, the long tradition of gathering by and caring for Birrarung, and the strength and diversity of contemporary Victorian First Nations cultures.

Brooke Wandin. Photo: Michael Jalaru Torres

Wurundjeri artist, language worker, educator and researcher, Brooke Wandin will create an artwork centred around a water feature within Laak Boorndap. The commission speaks to the importance of Birrarung to the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people as a lifeblood, a carrier of stories, and a place of significance. Reflecting on the path of Birrarung over time, Brooke’s ambition for the work is to demonstrate respect and reverence for Birrarung.

A commission by Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong artist Tarryn Love will create a gathering place that celebrates the land’s long-held traditions of coming together, connection and shared experience. Tarryn’s aim is to celebrate First Peoples as the first architects who built communal places for ceremony, storytelling and exchange.

The two public artworks will be situated in a central meeting point and new tourist destination for Melbourne. They have been selected to celebrate First Nations history and culture and inspire visitors to the garden to think about how to protect, care for and safeguard our natural world. In addition to these two permanent commissions, Laak Boorndap will feature a rotating display of sculptures by local and international artists from the NGV collection.

Expertly designed by Hassell, in partnership with New York architecture and design firm SO-IL, world-renowned horticulturalists James Hitchmough and Nigel Dunnett and plant practice Super Bloom, Laak Boorndap will be a stunning expansive garden that showcases a bold new Australian naturalism and creates space in the centre of the city for gathering, creative expression and renewed connection with nature.

Quotes

"This commission finds new ways to revere and cherish birrarung, including the mutually beneficial relationship we have always had with her." – Brooke Wandin

"I am honoured to create a work in conversation with this sacred river Country. It’s about intergenerational knowledge sharing and the strength of our survival. Always was, always will be." – Tarryn Love

“Laak Boorndap will be a new living, breathing destination that will be visited by millions of people each year. The Victorian Government is honoured to back these commissions, and I congratulate Brooke Wandin and Tarryn Love whose creative talent – and deep cultural knowledge – will ensure Laak Boorndap is as creative and inspiring as the iconic venues that call the arts precinct home." – Colin Brooks, Minister for Creative Industries

“We’re proud to be working with Tarryn and Brooke over the coming years to deliver public artworks that celebrate the significance of Birrarung and its banks to First Peoples, while championing First Nations storytelling and culture for visitors from Australia and around the world.” – Katrina Sedgwick, Director & CEO of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co)