The Victoria Harbour Young Artist Initiative

Victoria Harbour is soon to play host to an exciting art project developed by Sculpture and Spatial Practice; a discipline stream of the School of Art, Faculty of the VCA and Music at the University of Melbourne, and Lend Lease.

The Victoria Harbour Young Artist Initiative began in 2008, and provides second and third year undergraduate students with the opportunity to experience a ‘real world’ project over an eight week period, complete with all the challenges and rewards of making artwork in public spaces.

Students make a proposal for an artwork that is competitively assessed, and a selection of seven art projects are developed, constructed and installed for the exhibition. Students are responsible for all aspects of their project, including working directly with developers and council representatives to ensure artworks comply with technical and safety standards; sourcing in-kind support for their individual projects; and the publication of a documentary catalogue.

In 2009 an array of works were displayed including viewing portals that allowed viewers to see below the docks, a large floating ‘SOS’ visible from the high rise buildings, a poem painted across the entirety of Victoria Green, fluorescent orange mussels growing from a walkway ramp, and a subverted playground.

Look out for the 2010 exhibition at Victoria Harbour from the 30th April to the 31st May.