Development Victoria is proud to have worked with renowned artist Bindi Cole Chocka to create an inspiring piece of public art on the Ballarat GovHub site.
The artwork - Bengek Yeeram Toort-Baarram: I Am the Bright Morning Star – was inspired by Bindi’s Wadawurrung heritage and Christian faith and pays homage to the artist’s ancestors and the original habitats of the local area.
“I’m always inspired by identity and in particular, things that don’t initially seem like they should be together and create a tension but actually can be reconciled to work beautifully as one,” Bindi said.
“In this work, I bring together my Wadawurrung heritage with my Christian faith. My father named me Bindi, from the Larakkia language of the top end of the NT, which means morning star.”
Conveying the bold, eye-catching phrase Bengek Yeeram Toort-Baarram: I Am The Bright Morning Star, each word is filled with and surrounded by clouds with a hint of a contemporary twist on a traditional Wadawurrung patterning - the crosshatch.
In her artist statement, Bindi says “The cloud imagery brings the Ballarat sky down to ground level and takes us back to a time when Ballarat was an open expanse and the sky would envelop you, filled with opportunities. The artwork provides a moment for viewers to move beyond their immediate surrounds and thoughts to reflect on higher ideas.”
The artwork will be displayed on the external hoarding of the Ballarat GovHub during the construction phase.
Development Victoria is also calling on Expressions of Interest (EOI) from local artists to commission future artwork for the Ballarat GovHub.
The artwork will be displayed in the public realm area on the ground floor, providing a welcome greeting for visitors and creating a sense of belonging for the buildings place in Ballarat.
The artwork should respond to the architectural form, reflect the history of the precinct, and provide a point of interest for visitors to the GovHub.
Currently under construction, the GovHub will centralise the delivery of a range of government services, making it a one-stop-shop for customers and a hub for local activity.
Development Victoria is delivering the Ballarat GovHub on behalf of Regional Development Victoria.
Expressions of interest close 14 August 2020.
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View allUpdated on 26 May 2023