Micro gallery art takes over Melbourne’s streets
Famous for its vibrant creative community, Melbourne’s young innovative artists are increasingly taking to the streets with ‘exhibitions’ of recently produced works displayed on alley walls, mailboxes and even underground subway platforms.
Well-networked into the city’s broader contemporary art scene, many of these quirky micro exhibition spaces have their own curator and ‘opening night’ events, with followers updated about program changes through social network sites such as Facebook.
While a casual stroll through Melbourne’s laneways and alleys is bound reveal a few of these hidden gems through happy chance, here are some highlights for the visitor:
- Mailbox 101 - Located in the entrance foyer of 141 Flinders Lane (near the corner of Russell Street), Mailbox 101 invites artists to create site-specific work for a strip of restored antique mailboxes.
- Platform Artists Group Inc - An artist-run initiative that runs four exhibition spaces in the Degraves Street subway (the underground walkway that runs below Flinders Street, connecting Degraves Street, which runs off Flinders Lane, to Flinders Street Station). Exhibitions change monthly so join the Platform Artists Group Facebook page to stay up to date.
- Citylights - Since 1996, the Citylights Project has been taking dark alleys and turning them into galleries. Hosier Lane and a small alcove just off Centre Place are two of the best known sites where lightboxes installed along the laneway wall illuminate works by local and international artists.
- 20x30 - a hole-in-the-wall exhibition space, situated next to the hip hole-in-the-wall café, Pushka in Pesgrave Place (off Howie Place, a laneway which runs between Collins and Little Collins streets).
For more information: go to www.visitvictoria.com and type Melbourne public art walking tours and art trails into the search engine to be taken directly to information on key city street art sites
Media Contact: Danielle Poulos, Senior Media Officer, Tourism Victoria, on (03) 9653 9773 or email danielle.poulos@tourism.vic.gov.au