For ten days in July and in over 20 sites, one kilometer of Gertrude Street in Fitzroy will be illuminated by the visions of talented projection artists for the Gertrude Street Projection Festival.
From July 22 – 31 windows, laneway walls, footpaths, shop interiors, tree-trunks, and whole buildings will be lit up with ‘art interventions’, created by award winning projection artists, community groups and individuals.
A project of the Gertrude Association, the Gertrude Street Projection Festival is in its fourth year and aims to connect and celebrate our diverse community and expose a large audience to this free outdoor street gallery.
Established projection artists whose work will be featured include Yandell Walton, Ian de Gruchy, Nick Azidis, Lindsay Cox, Olaf Meyer, Kit Webster and Rowena Martinich. Kym Ortenburg, co-founder of the not-for profit Gertrude Association said, ”This is an area of talent and diversity. It’s a treat to rug up and wander along a street of amazing illuminations. The images transform things we see everyday into unexpected and often quite magical experiences. It’s great thing for families, for the arts lover and for anyone who visits Gertrude St after dark.”
Public artist Greg Giannis heads up one of the works in the Community Group Projections category, with a work that will light up the Atherton Gardens Housing Estate. The Fitzroy Learning Network for young people from recently arrived communities will be producing a stop animation project. The City of Yarra, Melbourne Youth Sport and Recreation and the Aboriginal
Advisory Group will also be collaborating to produce an indigenous projection as well as a Sunday evening storytelling entitled ‘The Hidden History of Gertrude St’.
Special events (at a cost of $2) include the ‘Gertrude Guided Art Tours’ on Thursday 28 July; a tour of the colourful, light filled street, as well as ‘Sensory Overload’ on Friday 29 July at the Workers Club Hotel- a night of live bands with interactive projection installations, plus announcement of the winner of the RMIT Emerging Artist Prize.
The Gertrude Street Projection Festival artworks will be projected from 6pm until midnight every evening during the Festival.
