The wall is ours, letâs take it.
Welcome to The Wall is Ours.
(Please scroll down for more information)
Invite Rebellion | Create Unity
Project Goal | At its most elemental, the main goal of the project is to use street art to transform the grey, often vandalised, wall and make the Inveresk riverbank a more inviting public space.
About the project | The wall along the riverbank behind the QVMAG, University of Tasmania accomodation, Tasmanian College of the Arts campus at Inveresk currently exists as an unclaimed, potential platform for art, creativity and unity. Since the wall was built (as part of the development of the area as a path for pedestrians and cyclists) I have wondered why it is left blank, to be defaced and constantly painted over in grey again. Do we need another place that inadvertently asks for misbehaviour?
As a student who utilises the space beyond the wall, where art an creativity are encouraged, practised and enjoyed daily, leaving such a canvas blank seems like an wasted opportunity. There are some incredible artists on the other side of the walk-way whose skills ought to be utilised to transform a bland wall of space into a space that is inviting and takes art from the studio to the street where it can be enjoyed by the public.
If you would like to support this idea or discuss it further, please contact me here. My name is Indea Quinn and I would love to hear from you - any feedback is encouraged and appreciated! Please also check out the rest of the TWiO page (best viewed on a laptop and is not ideal for phones or other hand-held devices) or the Tasmania Made Open page. I have briefly outlined some further points on the project, below.
The positives:
+ Good timing - due to the planned development for the Inveresk area, this concept would tie in with making the area more appealing and engaging
+ Could encourage the community to use the new bike/walk way and would ensure that the area wasn't left to fall into a the category of not being family-friendly or daunting/unpleasant to be around
+ Encourage people to use their artistic inclinations for positive art that benefits the community
+ Utilise the great assets to the area - the vibrant, creative people currently using the Inveresk campus
+ Potential for education - graffiti workshops?
+ Create a space that could be used and enjoyed socially by the people already in the area (students, residents in the apartments, museum goers, etc) as well as to draw people to the area who would not otherwise seek it out (with a potential flow-on effect that sees more interest in the arts precinct)
Directions this project could take:
+ using the painting of the wall to bring the community together with an opening event/festival with performance, workshops, food etc
+ asking for design submissions for particular sections of the wall from the general public (as a competition?) to really emphasise the idea of the wall being 'ours'
+ asking community groups to design/paint a section of the wall, to promote a sense of community and to tell Launcestonâs story
+ having the wall completely repainted every few years to keep the community interested and personally invested in maintaining and evolving the area
+ painting a section each year and having an annual event around the development