art
february 2009
topic
OurMelbourne2050
In 2009 we are surrounded by the words and concepts of sustainability. We know we should be green. We know our city should be green. But what would it look like? How could it be imagined? Should we just wait for the experts to give us the blueprint? The OurMelbourne2050 map project provides a blank cartographic slate for people’s imagination. It recognises that everyone can dream, and hence everyone can be involved in building the future. Participants take pen, pencil, brush or glue to a map of present day Melbourne, inscribing their individual visions for a truly sustainable city. The ideas gather and cross-pollinate, creating a rich collective tapestry that will help us re-imagine and re-invent our city. We will all help to transform the map from describing where we are presently going to where we want to be. Come by and add yours!
Michael Chew is a visual artist who works in photography, video, installation works and community art projects. Holding separate degrees in Fine Art, Physics, and Humanities, he brings widely ranging thought to art, from the cultural and political to the scientific and experimental. He has taught photography to children in India and runs volunteer programs to support others to do the same. His work examines public space and its distinctive sociology, making inquiries into strangers thoughts and attitudes through video interviews. Another recurring theme in his work is humanity’s relationship to the natural world. While the public debate is increasingly concerned about environmental issues, our personal relationship with nature remains strained, complex, and ambiguous.
Catherine Evans is currently studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Photography) at the Victorian College of the Arts, having previously completed a Bachelor of Asian Studies/Science. As an emerging young artist she has exhibited recently in the Olive Cotton Prize for Portraiture and in the CCP Kodak Salon and is keenly involved in the arts in Melbourne, volunteering at the Centre for Contemporary Photography and Brunswick Arts. Catherine’s combination of cultural and visual awareness ensures that she can bring a high level of understanding into community art projects.
Megan Richards is a writer and social worker with a background in fiction and memoir writing, and a particular interest in narratives of place, experience and community. Megan has been involved in a number of arts and social justice projects in both Melbourne and Sydney and has spent time teaching language and visual arts in Tokyo, Japan. She is currently completing graduate studies in both creative writing and social work at the University of Melbourne.