Ian de Gruchy's giant polka dots grace the Gertrude Hotel (cnr Naper st and Gertrude st) for the Gertrude st Projection Festival.
Top - Crowds gather to admire the Builder's Arms Hotel in a new light! (not clear whose work this is... the website is a little confusing. Perhaps Kit Webster?). Bottom shot - clouds on the pavement!Checked out the Gertrude st Projection Festival in Fitzroy on Friday night. SO GREAT! What's not to love about enormous coloured polka-dots brightening up a wintery night!
It was fantastic to see so many people out braving the cold to check it out... Yay for Melburnians! I especially loved the larger scale projections for sheer wow-factor, but there were also lots of great smaller works to discover in shopfront windows, projected up high from first-floor windows, and even shimmering beneath your feet here and there!
Also it was lovely to discover a few surprises off the beaten track... some so subtle you had to look twice! (I'll give you a little clue - keep an eye out for falling leaves..!)
The Gertrude st Projection Festival is free, BUT it's only on for 5 more days - closing night is this Friday July 10th. Lights go on every night from 6.00pm - midnight. More info and download-able map here.
Suggested Itinery -
7.00pm - Dinner at my favourite-est restaurant Anada (if you can get a table). Also Gigibaba, Ladro, or Wabi Sabi on Smith st would be equally fun.
8.00pm - Rug up, grab your dinner date and head for a brisk stroll - eyes wide open to uncover each glowing surprise... some where you least expect!
9.00pm - Home for hot chocolate. Yes please!
Nicholas Azidis - Leave no Trace (projected onto the Melbourne Aboriginal Youth Sports and Recreation Centre, no 184 - 186 Gertrude st). Bottom photo shows the projector positioned in the first-floor window of Title bookshop.
Pene Durston collaborated with Dell Stewart to create 'Cull' in the window of Pene's shop Cottage Industry (no. 67). Dell's animated animals are displayed on tiny screens amongst Pene's signature crocheted branches. I know I should have been concentrating on the artwork... but couldn't help getting a shot of Pene's cat looking a bit befuddled by it all!
Top image - I am really, really sorry but the festival map and website are really quite confusing and it is not clear at all who this piece is by! So sorry! If anyone knows I will amend this post asap. Anyway it was just near the corner of Fitzroy st and Gertrude st. Bottom Image - Menagerie by Jeffrey Phillips in the window of Northside Records.
After being directed to your blog by anna of able and game I rang up my partner and we are going to the projection festival tonight! Thank you for blogging about it, other wise i would never have known!
ReplyDeletebridget
sweetie, in your itinery, you forgot to mention an after dinner digestif at 'gertrude st enoteca'...then home for the hot chocolate!
ReplyDeletethis looks inspiring, will head there after work on thursday x
Love this post Lucy and your suggested itinerary (and thanks Shelley for the added tip!).
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to see if we can head across town this Fri night.
We did a similar one in Sydney a couple of weeks ago. It was soooo much fun. Lots of people and lots of things to look at. Amazing how they get the buildings to light up. Wish they did it all the time!!! Enjoy.
ReplyDelete