Shifting Ground: The Evolving Role of Art in the Australian Public Domain maps the cultural and political forces reshaping public art in Australia, from the persistence of colonial frameworks to the growing centrality of First Nations voices, activism, and place-based practice.
About This Book
Public art in Australia is no longer the domain of civic monuments and sanitised commissions. Shifting Ground documents a decisive turn: towards inclusivity, ecological knowledge, cultural justice, and the hard-won visibility of First Nations art and history. Drawing on four essays and eleven case studies by leading practitioners, the book presents a working account of how the rationale and methodology behind public art has changed. It reads as both critical survey and live document — essential for anyone engaged in the commissioning, curation, or study of art in the public realm. With works by more than thirty artists examined across diverse contexts, it captures the discipline at a genuine inflection point.
Key Features
- 176 pages of critical essays, case studies, and documentation of public art projects across Australia
- Foreword by artist and curator Tony Albert; four essays and eleven case studies by leading industry practitioners
- Notable artists include Abdul Abdullah, Brook Andrew, Daniel Boyd, Megan Cope, Callum Morton, Judy Watson, and over thirty others
- Published by Formist Editions, 2018
What You'll Discover
- How colonial imperatives have historically shaped the Australian public domain and how contemporary practice is actively dismantling those frameworks
- The growing centrality of First Nations art, knowledge systems, and cultural justice within public art commissioning and curation
- The shift towards activist, place-based storytelling as a methodology — not just an aesthetic choice — in contemporary public practice
- Cross-disciplinary perspectives from curators, artists, and public art advisors who have been at the forefront of this cultural resurgence
About the Author
Felicity Fenner is a curator of contemporary art and Chair of the City of Sydney's Public Art Advisory Panel. She has curated over 40 exhibitions for public galleries and museums, including Australia's group exhibition for the 2009 Venice Biennale and the 2017–2019 Perth Festivals, and served as founding director of UNSW Galleries from 2012 to 2018. Her recent curatorial work has focused on the public domain, including advisory roles on Macquarie Group's public art commissions for the Martin Place metro station and as the state government's curator of public art at Barangaroo.
Specifications
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 176
- Dimensions: 250 x 180 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9780645521061
- Publisher: Formist Editions
- Publication Date: 2018
Perfect For: Curators, public art practitioners, urban designers, architects engaged in public commissions, and researchers working across Australian art history, First Nations cultural practice, and the politics of place.