Strategy
and Planning
Early engagement turns public art into an asset rather than a compliance line, and gives a project the planning depth to navigate complex approvals.
Curation
and Delivery
The dual role is what keeps a major commission on programme, on budget, and creatively whole through every stage of delivery.
Activations and
Arts Programming
For precinct owners, this is the cultural layer that turns built form into a destination people come back to.
Our Approach
ART AID is founded and led by Christopher Skyner, a public art curator and creative director with over a decade of experience across the Australian arts and property sectors. Every engagement is led personally, from first conversation to final installation, which is how the practice maintains continuity of vision across long timelines and complex approval environments.
The practice is structured around a dual creative director and lead producer model. We hold the curatorial direction and the delivery program inside the same team, which means a major commission stays on programme, on budget, and creatively whole, without the handoffs that cause most public art projects to lose their edge between concept and completion. For developers operating under planning conditions or pursuing State Significant approvals, this continuity is what separates a commission that lands from one that becomes a compliance problem.
We believe the best public art comes from a genuine understanding of place, community, and the artists best placed to respond to both. It is not decoration, and it is not a compliance exercise.
Social Impact
Social impact is built into how ART AID operates. A meaningful portion of profits is directed to not-for-profit and charitable organisations doing work we believe in, locally and internationally. The model is structural rather than discretionary, which is the only way social commitment holds up under scrutiny.
In 2023, ART AID raised the funds to build the Bali Life Street Kids Centre in Denpasar, a school and women's workshop that gives vulnerable children a route out of street life and their mothers a means of earning. In 2026, we partnered with Dexus to deliver a creative residency for young adults at the Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice in Sydney. Both partnerships continue.
For our clients, this means every project carries cultural and social value that can be credited to the development itself. For us, it means the practice is structured to give something back to the artists and communities our work depends on. Every project contributes to bettering a life, bettering the planet, and building a strong creative economy.
Our Clients
ART AID works on the calibre of public art and cultural projects that anchor major precincts and shape the cultural life of place.
At The Mastery, a major precinct development in the City of Sydney, we lead one of the most significant public art programs in the country. Engaged by Barings in 2022, we built the public art strategy, ran artist selection, and managed concept development, and we continue as the client's art and production advisers through to delivery. It is the kind of long-form engagement the practice is built for.
For Mirvac at Heritage Lanes, Brisbane, we are curating the inaugural artwork commission for a 232 square metre digital canvas, one of the most ambitious permanent art platforms in the country. Working alongside Spacesuit&Co, we are leading artist selection and curatorial direction for the work that will define the screen's opening chapter.
Our broader client list includes Mirvac, Lendlease, Investa, IFM Investors, Urban Property Group, and Coronation, among others. Many of our client relationships span multiple projects and years, which is the clearest sign that the work delivers.
FAQs
The best starting point is a conversation. Get in touch via hello@artaid.com.au and we will connect with you to understand your project.
From there, we can provide a reverse brief where we interpret your project's context, goals, and opportunity, and present it back to you as a starting point for discussion. This helps us make sure we are aligned from the outset before any formal engagement begins.
We do not manage artists - we select them. Our role is to identify and recommend the artist or artists best suited to your brief, your site, and your community context. We draw on an established network across Australia and internationally, and present a curated shortlist for client consideration. The selection process is tailored to each project, from invited shortlists to open expressions of interest.
Licensing covers the rights associated with an artwork, including the artist's intellectual property and moral rights. In Australia, artists retain moral rights over their work even after a commission is complete, which means they have the right to be attributed as the creator and to object to treatment of the work that is prejudicial to their reputation.
Licensing terms, including how the artwork can be reproduced, documented, or used in marketing, are negotiated and clearly documented during the fee proposal stage. We make sure both parties understand their rights and obligations before any work begins.
Yes. We have developed a suite of templates and agreements built from years of experience across a wide range of commission types and contexts. Where a project requires specialist legal input beyond our scope, we can refer clients to trusted professionals within our external network who understand the specific requirements of public art commissioning.
As early as possible - ideally at the planning or design development stage. Early engagement allows public art to be genuinely integrated into the built environment rather than retrofitted at the end. It also allows time to run a thorough artist selection process and deliver work of real ambition within your program.
Yes. Our team brings international experience including cultural advisory work with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture, brand work for Gucci, projects in New Zealand for Destination Queenstown, and partnership with the Bali Life Foundation on cultural and social impact work in Indonesia. The practice is now structured to take on permanent public art and cultural projects in markets including the Gulf, Hong Kong, and across Asia Pacific. If you are planning a project outside Australia, we would welcome the conversation.