Melbourne Art Trams
For the first time, the Melbourne Art Tram program is amplifying the diverse creative cultural practice of city and regional artists, with a suite of First Peoples-designed trams.
Ancient waterways continue to flow beneath the concrete foundations of a constantly transforming city. Old gums, scarred with the lines of canoes, stand tall alongside towering skyscrapers. Freshwater and saltwater meet in estuaries, brought together by the turning moon’s tides.
While the city is changing, Country and First Peoples culture is all around us. For 2021 we celebrate six First Peoples artists from the city to the regions. Each artist will be responsible for the transformation of a Melbourne tram, which will make its way through the city daily. The collected works speak to themes of caring for Country and the diverse ecologies of First Peoples lands, to personal connections to identity and journeying.
Artists
- Deanne Gilson (Wadawurrung)
- Thomas Marks (Wotjobaluk and Gunaikurnai)
- Aunty Rochelle Patten (Yorta Yorta, Dhudhuroa and WembaWemba)
- Jarra Karalinar Steel (Boonwurrung and WembaWemba)
- Ray Thomas (Brabrawooloong Gunnai)
- Aunty Zeta Thomson (Wurundjeri and Yorta Yorta)
Curated by Kimberley Moulton, the six selected artworks speak to diverse themes of environmental ecologies and caring for Country, to personal stories of journeying and family, and reflect on the history and cultural heritage of First Peoples in the landscape. As a collective of moving artworks all six share with us the strength and beauty of creative cultural expression and the interwoven connections and continuous cultures of First Peoples in Victoria.