Marking a significant milestone in the integration of art and architecture in Sydney, Georgia Hill’s ‘FLOW, FOLD’, is the result of multi-staged project collaboration between Equinix, Authority Creative now operating as ART AID, Erilyan, and Creative Road.
Enveloping the extended Equinix Data Centre SY5 development, the artwork remains true to Hill’s own practice, while engaging with local themes and contributing to the ongoing vision for Alexandria; an energetic and ever-transforming inner-city suburb.
Comprising mural, sculptural, and lighting elements, Georgia Hill’s ambitious 4000m2 artwork explores themes of connection, community, development and change over time. These themes, which Hill found and abstracted through research, are employed to explore past histories of the site, are conceived and expressed through two applications - the painted mural work of ‘FLOW’, and the fabrication of large scale sculptural elements ‘FOLD’, through which radiating, concentric circles connect both disciplines across the entire 100 metre facade. The outcome is a multi layered approach that results in a dynamic artwork of connected repetition, pattern and movement.
Due to the site’s enormous scale and prominent location adjacent to one of Sydney’s high-traffic road arterials, the project presented a particularly unique challenge and opportunity for an artist.
At the core of the project is the strategic vision defined in the Public Art Plan developed by ART AID, in liaison with Equinix, Erilyan, and architects Warren & Mahoney. The Public Art Plan, which outlines the objectives, themes, and artistic vision for the development within the City of Sydney LGA, forms the basis for the subsequent artist shortlisting, concept development, and selection process.
Three artists were invited to develop detailed concepts in response to a brief developed by ART AID to establish the conceptual, contextual, material and technical parameters and aspects for consideration by the artist. Over several months, representatives from each stakeholder group came together to implement and participate in the artist selection process through which Sydney based artist Georgia Hill was chosen. Hill, who collaborated with Creative Road to produce her artwork concept proposal, is celebrated for her dynamic large-scale artworks, demonstrated a strong understanding of the project's essence in her concept proposal, aligning her well with the visions and goals of the Public Art Plan.
‘FLOW, FOLD’ by Artist Georgia Hill
Artwork design development, fabrication and installation management were led by Creative Road, who engaged Tilt Industrial Design to provide design, fabrication, and installation services for the project. A variety of digital iterations were developed that considered manufacturing, materials and engineering – all of which would ultimately influence the final artwork design. Artwork lighting design was developed in collaboration with Aurecon.
Hill’s well known phrasing has been abstracted significantly to create the framework for the mural, moving the artwork through stages of past, present and future. Instead of focusing on literal interpretations of industrial or technological advances, Hill was able to visualise abstract concepts such as time, connection, community, topography and progress through simple line work and manipulation of fabricated elements. The artwork is heightened through various vantage points and the application of lighting, heroing, both the artwork and engaging light play as the site moves from day to night, as well as seemingly simple tools of language and documentation.
In Hill’s interpretation of the material we use to document ourselves today, sculptural forms (fold) that directly reference manipulated paper forms, re-interpreted as metal sheets invite new interpretations as we move into digital and data-based records of our lives. The sculptural pieces of the facade directly reference the limitations and movement of paper, a way of recording our history, and manipulate it into a contemporary consideration of how our experiences and history overlap and change with time and new perspectives. Working closely with Creative Road, Tilt delivered a fabricated outcome that closely reflects Hill’s paper based experiments originally elaborated through hand folding and curling, and promises high levels of safety and durability.
These sculptural forms are connected to the ‘FLOW’ mural artwork, where the hand generated paintings by Hill feature abstracted lettering and concentric circles. While the lettering acts as a framework for the entire artwork, these circles allow multiple interpretations and symbolism, from ripples in the canal waters close by, to radiating connections, time layering and passing, and topographical mapping of our shared spaces. Using these forms in the structure of the mural, rather than the key features of the mural itself, allowed the Artist to touch on biographical, historical and geographical concepts..
On the Eastern and Western facades, Hill has incorporated circles that break and create a subtle visual continuation in dialogue with Dana Harris’ public artwork ‘Mainframe’ located in the adjacent SY5 building. Harris’ artwork references vintage computer punch cards collected from Eastern Europe and collected historical information such as names of notable businesses which once traded in the area, street names, parks and significant trees.
Lighting used in ‘FLOW, FOLD’ creates a visually dynamic artwork, as bright points of light highlight the form of the paper folds, while the gradual, glowing of the sculpture is incorporated to create a sense of time representing new perspectives and experiences of the site each day. The best outcome for the artwork is ensured through design development in consultation with lighting consultants, Aurecon, and the City of Sydney. By considering how the lighting can retain the artistic merit of Hill’s work, while incorporating safety, amenity and sustainability the artwork, in this respect, is able to achieve a dual purpose.
Through extensive collaboration the objective was to create an artwork responsive to the site's context, capturing the innovative community spirit and the energy of an evolving suburban landscape. Collectively the focus remained on upholding high standards of design excellence in every detail and infusing the urban fabric with Hill's distinct visual vocabulary.
