1- Christine, can you tell us about the artwork that you’re creating for Red this year?

I have created the WHERE.A.BEE Art Installation and the WHERE.A.BEE Treasure Hunt at Kelly Park. The WHERE.A.BEE word comes from Werribee and this was catalyst to bring my ideas together. The WHERE.A.BEE Art Installation is a space to occupy and experience. The WHERE.A.BEE Treasure Hunt is designed for ages 7 – 70 and those who enjoy exploring. People will need a smart phone or tablet with a QR Code reader and internet connection (Kelly Park has free WiFi).  They have to scan all the bees with the unique QR codes, solve the mystery word puzzle and find the final destination. At the starting point, a QR Code is provided in the WHERE.A.BEE Art Installation. Not every origami Red Bee that has a QR code will lead to the next clue location.  There are 12 unique Red Bee QR codes in total that need to be found to solve the mysterious word treasure location. Answer all questions from each unique Red Bee and after you are done, write down the answer in Google Form.  People need to make a note and read the clue carefully to find the mysterious letter that will form the mystery word. They then need to complete all the 12 answers from each QR code clues using the Google Form. For the Google Form and further information go to: https://sites.google.com/view/whereabee/home

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The Ideas:

-Inviting people to revisit the space, remind people of the importance of what was before and bring a new art work commemorating the Aboriginal people of this land, Werribee River, Nature and Wyndham History.

-Bring visitors into the space and entice them to inhabit it and encourage them to learn more about Werribee History by going on the WHERE.A.BEE Treasure Hunt.

-As a space, it encourages interaction without being prescriptive about the use of the barricade construction tape. In fact, the barricade construction tape is an invitation to the space.

-The movement of the wind reveals the porosity of the installation (the tape colour yellow/black and red/white = reimagining bees and red gums at Werribee River).

 

2- What inspirations led to the conception of this work? 

This creation is honouring Werribee's Long History, Places and People.

A year ago, my husband and I moved from East Brunswick to Werribee because our best friends lived in Werribee. My husband and I fell in love with the Werribee River and its surroundings so we bought a house nearby the river. After a long spouse visa process, I officially migrated to Australia from Indonesia and for almost 6 months I studied at AMEP (Adult Immigrant English Programme) SLPET (Settlement Language Pathways to Employment and Training) at Victoria University as part of the Australia Government support for new immigrants.  I loved studying there with many passionate teachers and other friends from different backgrounds, cultures and languages. When the course was closed at VUT, I decided it was time to contribute to the community through RedWest.  I wanted to share the Wyndham history with my friends and other new immigrants because we didn't learn about local history.  I want AMEP students and new immigrants in Wyndham to know more about the history and be a part of the community. Life skills and learning should continue outside the classroom. Knowing more means understanding and loving more; that is the essence of the community feeling.

I love history, buildings and the Werribee River. So, when I made the art installation concept, it all started from the site itself that "talked" to me.  Everything developed from there. I want to share the concept that learning about history is fun through this art installation. I want everyone in Wyndham to be proud and aware of the long history and never forget it.

 

3- Is this your first time doing public art?

I've been doing some public art along with my architectural projects in Indonesia when I worked as an architect.  I always like to engage people in the artwork and I believe that I have achieved that with the WHERE.A.BEE Art Installation.

For me public art is accessible art of any kind that cares about/challenges/involves and consults the audience for or with whom it is made, respecting community and environment.  The other forms are still private art, no matter how big or exposed or intrusive they may be.

Public art is artwork that depends on its context. It is an amalgamation of events, the physical appearance of a site, its history, the socio-economic dimensions of the community and the artist's intervention.

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4- Do you think that you’ll start doing more public art as a result of being involved in Red?

For sure. I would like to be involved more in community art projects.  I want to first understand what the reason is for the public art and then I can find my meaning for creating the public artwork and what I want to communicate.

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5- Would you say that this work is aligned with what you do in your normal creative work?

Yes, indeed because architecture is a mix of art, space, place, people, and technology.

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6- How would you describe your creative practice? 

Whenever I make the art installation concept, it all starts from the site itself that "talks" to me through the collective memory of people, community, and history.  Everything develops from there.  Public art has many elements that need to be considered, so the outcome evolves through this process.

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7- What inspires your creative practice?

The site (Space and Place), People (Collective Memory, History, Past, Present, Future), Music, Movies and Nature (Trees, Earth, Water, Wind, Animal).

 

Potential follow up question for post-Red:

How has being involved in Red affected your creative practice or your outlook for your practice?

When I was working as an architect and doing some public artwork usually it's a team effort. However, in this RedWest art project I have to do all by myself (origami, waterproofing, painting, designing, assembling, etc).  Sometimes it's overwhelming because I have to juggle between concept change, compromises, mistakes, work task checklist and ensuring the best outcome in the situation. Thankfully I got help from my husband, friends and neighbours and I try my best to source all of the equipment for the art project from local Werribee people and local businesses. I enjoy the community feeling, side by side, helping in the process and I'm grateful for that. Last but not least I want to make art that can be understood and enjoyed by many people.