Ngangbul creatives sought for airport art project

Wed, 20 Oct 2021

Ballina Shire Council is seeking Expressions of Interest from Northern Rivers Ngangbul artists to design and develop a series of public artworks within the Ballina Byron Gateway Airport precinct, including the new Airport Boulevard entrance.

Ballina is the traditional land of the Nyangbul people of the Bundjalung nation. This public art, which will welcome people arriving at the airport, will visually represent the local indigenous landscape values, Country and distinctive landscape character of Ballina Shire.

There are two options available to the artist or artist team:

• Create a painting or graphic that Ballina Shire Council purchases and uses for a range of art projects co-ordinated by Council in liaison with the artist. For example, the artist may produce a painting as the primary artwork and Council would have the rights to reproduce the painting in full or in part in other art formats such as a background for signage, a pattern to carve into timber, or as a graphic to be painted or etched onto pavement.
• Create, fabricate and install a full suite of art interventions. The artist or artist team may produce a combination of elements such as: large size paintings or murals; metal art panels; steel art templates for etching/sandblasting/painting onto the pavement; free-standing or hanging sculptural elements.

Proposed locations for the public art include the medians or road verges of the new Southern Cross Drive and Airport Boulevard roundabout, the airport terminal entrance, and pavement areas within the airport precinct.

The budget for the commission is up to $15,000 (excluding GST) for the production of a single artwork that can be used by Council for a variety of purposes, or up to $92,000 (excluding GST) for the production of a suite of artworks including design, fabrication and installation.

Installation of the artwork is proposed to be completed by 1 January 2022, however this will be subject to change depending on the artist/s program and timeframes.