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Alternative Worlds
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Intervention through art
Three Projects – Three Collaborators – Three Cities: Australia – 2010 – Mexico – 2011 – Canada – 2012
‘Alternative Worlds’ is a series of public art projects and symposiums that will be three-way inter-cultural trans-disciplinary collaborations between indigenous artists and designers in Melbourne, Australia, Oaxaca, Mexico, and Lethbridge, Canada. The project series will occur over three years (2010-2012), hosted in each location.
Alternative Worlds Launch Melbourne
The project launch was held on Tuesday 6 July, 2010 at 5:30pm at North Carlton Railway Station Neighbourhood House. The opening was attended by over 100 people and was launched by John Harding, RMIT"s DSC Indigenous Research Officer. The final work consisted of an exhibition of objects representing clothing adorned by Natalia’s poetry suspended from the roof top of the under cover area of Railway House. Photographs developed by Karen Casey, Natalia Toledo of the objects worn by people were also shot and back projected on rotation on the windows of Railway house.
Alternative Worlds
Image of installation at Railway House
Images projected at Railway House
The research team at the launch
About the Project
Alternative worlds research report (PDF 2.64MB)
The project will research through practice issues of future directions in the decolonised world, in societies that have had differing but parallel colonial, settlement and migration histories. The research will investigate how this has informed and transformed the three societies to become new social constructions and how this has made an impact on contemporary culture and art/design.
A one month residency will be held by three collaborators in each city, with a representative from each of the three countries and will employ a praxiological method of research, a method involving a core practical project work and reflection upon the project through a one day symposium and publication.
In its first stage, Melbourne will be the host city and will receive, during the month of June, Natalia Toledo, Zapotec artist from Mexico, to work with Karen Casey, Australian Aboriginal artist. A Canadian artist will not be present during the month residency in this first stage, but Tanya Harnett, First Nations artist, has been in Melbourne for a week before, and will send a contribution for the other two artists to respond to.
The North Carlton Railway Station Neighbourhood House in the City of Yarra will be the site to develop and install the collaborative work of public art.
Background
This three-way collaboration between artists and designers in Mexico, Canada and Australia will explore the cultural similarities and differences of the three “New World” countries to investigate points of connection between one another towards projects in to the to future.
The three countries were created in their modern form through colonialism and subsequent migration. Indigenous cultures continue to vie with colonial ones and we also see the creation of new artistic and cultural insights which are neither indigenous or metropolitan, rather forms of expression that are particular to societies created through the colonial period and its aftermath.
Team and partners
The project team consists of Geoff Hogg, Program Director of Art in Public Space, School of Art and Art in Public Space, John Harding, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies research officer and Public Art Project Researchers Tammy Wong, Cynthia Granados and Brenda Rocha.
The RMIT International Artist in Residence program (AIR) through Peter Westwood, is also supportive of this project and will provide a residence space, accommodation and stipend for the visiting artists in Melbourne.
The City of Yarra are the Melbourne based local government partner for this project and will assist with finding the appropriate site for the project and provide funding for some of the activities involved.
The University of Lethbridge, School of Art, in Alberta Canada and the non-for-profit Mexican organisation Kopalli Public Art are our main international partners, as well as the Centre for the Arts San Agustin Etla in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico.
The Mexican Embassy in Australia has also shown interest in support.
RMIT students will be encouraged to work with the collaborative artist/designer group towards the development of the project. The collaborative team will have the opportunity to work with the broader art school community through specific studio engagements, lectures and forums.
Impact and Legacy
The project aims to build ongoing links and active networks between Australia, Canada and Mexico towards the development of future art and design collaborations. The project will create, expand and reinforce networks towards this continuing process. It will also be a way of giving emerging indigenous artists and designers from the three countries a chance to participate in a collaborative event to share their work and expand their network.
For further information on Alternative Worlds contact Cynthia Granados at cynthia.granados@student.rmit.edu.au
North Carlton Railway Neighbourhood House
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