Yarra Ranges Council is pleased to announce the selected concept Regeneration for the Kalorama Park Land Artwork. TARRMAC / FOOKS / ASPECT studios are an award-winning team of Artist landscape architects who will be creating the artwork. Artist Jon Tarry in association with Landscape Architects Marti Fooks and Kirsten Bauer bring a depth of knowledge and experience to this unique project.
Considered a key public art project for ngurrak barring | Ridgewalk, Regeneration will be located in the foreground of an iconic viewpoint for the Dandenong Ranges.
Deputy Mayor and Chandler Ward Councillor David Eastham said "Council received 42submissions for this land art project, all of which were high quality. The Public Art Working Group managed to shortlist those submissions down to 6 and then they were invited to tender. I don't envy them; it would have been difficult."
The selected concept proposal, Regeneration is inspired by William Barak's renderings that connect with Country across time, on Arthur Streeton's rendering of light and on Edna Walling's celebrated environmental designs.
Cr Eastham said "The land art will respond to the site so well. Made from natural materials, it will be generated by the site, responding in the form of sculpture, path design and garden beds consisting of local native species.
The sculptures will be made from rescue timbers, including a Mountain Ash and local stone and plant species. 'Regeneration' will be a place to experience sights and sounds, where sculptural forms will be tuned to capture subtle sounds of the wind echoing through the site, creating a quiet harmonic sound heard only in close proximity. It really is quite something, " said Councillor Eastham.
As a land artwork Regeneration will be environmentally and site responsive, not impacting surrounding vegetation or views to the Silvan Dam. It will be experienced from the Kalorama Park lookout as well as a dedicated path running through the site. The path is designed to echo the shape of the Lyre bird feather. The lower section of the path will frame a perfect alternate view into the distance and links to the May Moon path. Along the way planting beds will radiate from the central space in a repeated pattern to the central sculptural space, creating a 'convergence', of growth and 'Regeneration'.
"Not only have this creative team gone above and beyond to make sure this artwork is integrated with the site but also in how they have involved the local community.
They will be working with local groups to source and process recycled fallen timber, with Karwarra Indigenous nursery in Kalorama to purchase local native plants and with local community to help plan and plant the garden beds that repeat throughout the site," Cr Eastham said.
Parks Victoria (PV) and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) are key stakeholders and partners. Council consults with PV and FFMV ongoingly to ensure all fire safety standards are met and asset maintenance is planned and implemented appropriately.
Regeneration is a key public artwork for ngurrak barring l RidgeWalk. The entire ngurrak barring l RidgeWalk project is jointly funded to $9.8M through the Federal Government's Regional Growth Fund and Community Development Grants Programs, the State Government's Growing Suburbs Fund and Yarra Ranges Council.
Yarra Ranges Council looks forward to celebrating this beautiful, considered, site specific artwork with the community by mid-2024.
